The Legend of Spyro: Return of the Heroes
by fanfic154
Summary: This story is how our Heros face the trials and challenges of just trying to live a life, free from everyone else's evils.
1. Character List

The Legend of Spyro: Return of Heros

 **The true story starts on page 3, but page 2 is the backstories of some of the characters, excluding Spyro, Cynder's, Sparx's, Nina's, Flash's, and the Guardians'. Leave a comment if you wish to have other backstories for more of a foundation, or maybe I could write what happens before the story someday.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Spyro, no matter how much I wish I did or was apart of building the series. These characters are from the Spyro series, and some are OC characters. I freely give anyone the permission to use my characters, as long as you leave a comment asking if you can, and what you want to use the character for. I came to fall in love with these characters, and I hope you do as well.**

 **Furthermore, the numbers after their names are their ages after one year Spyro pulled the earth back together, nicknames are names used by the character to hide their true identity, abbreviations of the names are used in the story, and titles are also given. A very heavy reminder. Dragons live for hundreds of years. Young ages are common here because of a war that killed off many older dragons.**

 **Characters I do not own**

 **Spyro (Cover Name: Muck) 15**

 **Cynder (Cover Name: Midnight) 15**

 **Flame 17**

 **Ember 16**

 **Sparx 15**

 **Cyril 454**

 **Volteer 460**

 **Terrador 458**

 **Chronicler Ignitus 478**

 **Flash 34**

 **Nina** **33**

 **OC characters**

 **Quintessence (Quin) 16**

 **Chip 8**

 **(Queen) Jade (Mother of Aropia, Mate of YhUal) 236**

 **(King) YhUal (You-hall) (Father of Aropia, Mate of Jade) (Deceased) 238**

 **Emerald (Maidservant of Jade) 145**

 **(Princess) Aropia 15**

 **Selverous (Ice Guardianite (Guardian in training) 25**

 **Bolt (Electric Guardianite (Guardian in training) 35**

 **General Difirem 124**

 **Ignitianondias (Ig-nit-eondias) Unknown**


	2. Prologue

**Epilogue**

 **Aropia, her mother and father, and Flame**

We open this story in this new world. The world had adapted, had readjusted, and now everyone forgot what the old world had even looked like. We all have heard of Warfang, the Dragon City. It had been turned into a stronghold for those seeking refuge after the war ended. It was nearly doubled in size, for many dragons in hiding came to the city, overpopulating it. Megolishion City was another stronghold but was the only stronghold during the war. It was ruled by King YhUal and his mate, Queen Jade. They had a daughter, who was born during The Year of the Dragon along with many others but was hidden away deep in the castle of Megolishion City, for the war raged on and they knew where the Purple Dragon's egg was kept was a target. Many knew of the prophecy of the Purple Dragon that was to stop the war, and so they knew of its whereabouts. Sadly, the Dark Master also knew this information. King YhUal and Queen Jade took no risks. They took all precautions, and Aropia was born a week after the night of the raid. She was raised as a spoiled child, and she knew very little discipline. She got all she ever wanted, no matter what it was. When the night of eternal darkness came, her castle doors were sealed off, keeping the royal family safe. Or so they thought. The Dark Master returned, and Spyro disappeared. The war grew more impatient, and more dragons were stripped from their home in Megolishion City to be trained as guards. As Knights. As Soldiers. Eventually, dragonets were stripped from their families to grow into the skillful art of fighting. These dragonets had a barracks in the castle, and that's where Aropia first heard of the Purple Dragon. It was through the dragonets' hope in the stories of what had happened that they would one day return home to their mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters. Aropia walked into the barracks one night when the stories were told, yet every dragonet despised her for what their parents did to take them away from their homes. She asked to hear the stories, but no one would tell. All except one, who was given a home in the castle, for he had no home, to begin with. Before his new stay at the barracks, he was a scavenger, looking only for his next meal. His name was Flame, and he told Aropia of the Purple Dragon. Flame was orphaned and had no friends and no family. Many disliked him for he stole from them. Aropia was his first friend and his first love. Not a week later did the Guardians themselves come into the hall of the throne room in the castle and were given refuge from Malefor's armies, as long as they would train the respective dragonets in the art of their ability. They agreed, and Aropia asked each and every Guardian of the Purple Dragon. They each shared how he single-handedly rescued each of them, and his fellow comrade, Cynder. When the stories were over, she demanded him to be her mate when he was to reveal his scales once more. This corrupted Aropia's kingdom, for she was granted her wish like all the others. Not a single dragon was allowed to be in love with Aropia, for she was considered a married dragon to the most powerful dragon already. The Guardians weren't too supportive of this but kept quiet for their own safety. Even though she was not married yet, whatever Aropia willed happened, and the kingdom started to treat everything as if the Purple Dragon was already married to Aropia, and was the king of Megolishion City. All who did woo and fall in love with Aropia perished at the blade of Jasper's End, a most horrific death. One would lose their wings under the crushing force of stone and would be thrown into the canyon known as Jasper's End, where the founder of Megolishion City, Queen Jasper, had thrown all traitors and prisoners during her rule. The years passed, and Flame had been promoted, for only he was determined to be a guard in the kingdom, for where else would he go? All of the other students dreamed of going home, but Flame was homeless and friendless and had nowhere else to go. He thrived in his new home, and what's more, was promoted to the personal bodyguard of Princess Aropia. This only strengthened their bond, but Aropia only saw eyes for Spyro, and Flame grew a bitter grudge against the very dragon he introduced to Aropia. When the Guardians received word on Spyro's return, they left. Aropia was forbidden to go, for her safety was at hand. After the war had ended, Aropia's father passed, leaving the throne vulnerable. The city was also destroyed from the earth crumbling under their talons, thanks to Malefor's plan. While her mother overlooked the reconstruction of Megolishion City, Aropia took matters into her own talons and went to Warfang with many who were willing to go. Flame, of course, tagged along. They went to Warfang, with Aropia hopeful of seeing Spyro, for his foster brother, Sparx, was here along with the Cheetah tribe of Avalar, and the Guardians, who have all known Spyro. Where else would he return to? He would eventually return to the only city he has been to, surely. They waited a month, rebuilding and extending their city for foreigners to arrive. They trained guards, and they graduated in a few month's time, thanks to Flame's expertise. In the meantime, Aropia and the rest of Warfang were told the heroic stories of Spyro every night before the citizens retreated to their homes. They were told of Spyro rescuing each septate Guardian, and then his battle against Cynder, who Spyro decided to save, despite the things she had done. The Guardians claimed that it was Malefor's doing, corrupting her from the start of her life through Gaul. That brought them to the eternal night, where Spyro left to save Cynder, and stop Malefor from returning his corrupted grasp on Cynder's will. That's when they went missing for three years. They then started to tell of the triumphs against the golem, where Spyro and Cynder took it out simultaneously when not one Guardian could even phase the creature. Then they told of Hell's masterpiece. The Destroyer. After the thing broke through the belt of fire, the stories stopped. They could only assume that Spyro and Cynder won, for the world was new and still here. As this month passed, much was accomplished. The city was rebuilt, the trade routes were re-established, and the defenses were upgraded from one cannon to five per wall. But Aropia grew impatient. She gathered groups, search parties, to search for Spyro. Sparx was the most influential part of Aropia's search. He gathered many, and they left to search for Spyro. Yet Cynder was eventually forgotten in the stories. She was still known as the Terror of the Skies. Not even Sparx echoed her name, for he was too worried about his brother. Each search lasted about a month, and this continued to no avail for a few months time.

 **Emerald, Chip, and Quintessence**

As a maidservant of the Royal Family, Emerald was moved into the castle along with her dragonets. She was widowed during the war, for her mate was killed in battle. But as a result, Quintessence and Chip were allowed to move into the castle along with their mother. Now Chip had some friends, but he and his buddies caused chaos whenever they saw an opportunity. They would prank the citizens, and the maidservants, and the students, and make disparaging remarks. Chip never matured. Every chance he got, he would make a sarcastic or rude comment. Some thought it was hilarious, but most others found it annoying. Although, Chip's actions most likely had the worst impact on his sister, Quintessence. She was a hard studying student, and that cost her friends and fun. Alas, she kept to her studies, and she mastered her abilities on her own, even rediscovering a lost art of warping, teleporting herself to wherever she had been or seen. She could teleport to another location and to any living being, as long as she knew of the certain soul she was traveling to. If she had not been somewhere or been near someone for a little, she could not travel to the dragon or place. Although, with this power, she gained the ability to feel the power of another creature's soul, of another creature's very being. Flame had a strong being, a firm spirit. Quin sensed Aropia's to be fragile, easily persuadable, yet powerful and firm and a bit spoiled. Warping gave her many advantages while growing up in the castle. When she attempted it and found out her blood carried this ability, she mastered it. By the book. She kept it secret, but she wasn't afraid of using it. She did use it. A lot. She decided to go to Warfang one day, to see the city, for it was being passed around that it was a masterpiece of the mole's. But before she left, Emerald and Chip insisted that Chip would come along. Of course, no excuse came to mind, so they set out. Queen Jade ordered Quintessence to serve her daughter as well, as soon as she arrived.

 **Selverous**

Growing up was strange. He held a position in his household of power, to some degree. His father was never the father he needed, always running around and never coming home. His mother had left him and his sister to who knows where. He had toughened up to take care of his sister. She meant the world to him. He got her to school with lunch and had to drop school himself to start earning money to raise his sister. Sadly, his efforts never saved his sister from the war. She perished in an ambush, targeted right at the school. The apes were merciless, and they were led by an ape warrior, who was feared. It was such a nice day, so peaceful. When Selverous heard of what had happened, he hurried to the school, only to see it burning. He ran in and pulled out many students, but the last time he came out, he turned to go back in, but the building collapsed. Then it exploded. When Selverous woke, he was in a hospital, injured. He bolted up and ran out of the room. He demanded if anyone had seen his sister. Her green eyes, her joyful smile, her tan-ish color. Nothing. He left the hospital despite the nurses trying to stop him. He rushed out and ran to the cave he lived in. He shouted her name around the cave, he searched for her smile, and then he went to the crumpled school. It had looked as if he had been in a few day coma, because the area we clear, and the citizens around it seemed to have seen it a million times. He cleared the barrier around it and walked up to it. He looked around and saw something. He saw a tooth. He started digging around the area, shouting "Please God no!" over and over again, when he pulled her out. Covered in ash, and burns everywhere, scales torn, and her smile gone. Selverous held her, weeping. She dropped something, a book. Selverous rested her head on his wounded tail and picked up the book. Civilians crowding the scene. When he opened it, he saw her imagination. Her stories, her pictures, her diary entries, everything. Reading the page he turned to;

 _Diary,_

 _Today my brother, silly and dense as always. I think the teacher likes him, but I can't really tell. He dropped school himself for me. How could I repay that? He says my smile is all he needs, so I guess all I can do for him is smile, and hope that one day I can do something more than just smile._

He started to cry again. The school had no classes for writing, for drawing. Yet the school another twenty minutes flight away did. That school went untouched during the attack. He blamed himself for not sending her there. She had complained about being bullied, about being teased, about how she didn't fit in, yet she went back every day, and he dismissed the issue. He decided two things that day. Secrets killed innocent souls, and he needed to fix any problem he could. They buried his sister. He was the only one who cared enough to show up to the burial. How could anyone forget her? She should have become the dragoness who brought all those families in this attack hope for tomorrow. Selverous stood at her grave for days, and ask himself what if. That's all he could do. He grew cold and bitter as the years passed. One day, he was out working the mines, and the roof caved in. It had to be instinct. He had blasted the entire cavern without hitting a coworker, saving their lives. The ice held the roof until the cavern well past after everyone had escaped. The Guardians showed up soon after, and took him as the Ice Guardianite, impressed with his skill. All he had to do now was study his ice breath, to master his element. Between his training, he took a vacation. Yet he was after something. He knew exactly who. Infiltrating the ape army camps positioned on the outskirts of the badlands, he found him in the last tent he searched. He demanded to know why. Why that school. Why that day. Why ever. The ape only laughed and laughed. He laughed for the last time that day. Returning to Warfang, he hoped that the Purple Dragon would be trained by the Guardians quickly to end the war, and Selverous hoped that the Purple Dragon would bring even further justice to the leader of the ape he slew. As a requirement to graduate, he was sent away to a distant land to finish his training, and the Purple Dragon disappeared. He was called back to fight in the war and experienced the worst three years of it. While returning, he was injured by Malefor's army and went into healing for months, and by the time the war ended, he was healed. He was asked how old he was by the Guardians one day after reconstruction started, and they realized he was the age where he could take a mate, and seeing as the dragon population lost over three-fourths of its population during the war, now would be a perfect time to take a wife and hope that the dragon race can survive. So, Selverous started looking. Not a year later, he saw a black dragoness, and he wanted her.

 **Ignitianondias**

Unknown


	3. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Warfang stood as a monument to all, that it shall stand, even when facing the devil himself. It had grown nearly three times in size since the war's end because of the immigrants coming in. They were all given housing and registered in the book of citizens to keep records of who was here to benefit Warfang and receive its fruit, and who was here to destroy the city. The only way in was from the gates at the front, or be shot down and arrested if you tried to fly over. The gates had a new field of grass starting to grow on the ever-aging battlefield of the war, which seemed to be fading into memory. The city became so enormous, that a second wall was constructed. It stretched for four hundred forty-four miles around the city, and the inner walls protected the mole citizens and cheetahs. The outer city was populated with the surviving dragon population. The other surviving race of dragons lived in Megolishion City. In the center of Warfang stood a town hall, where meetings were held and plans were made. This time was different though.

Flame was called to the town hall along with Princess Aropia. It had not been a day after their return from yet another search, yet they were already preparing for another. They traveled up the many steps and reached the doors.

"Ah, Aropia. Flame. We need to speak." Terrador started as they walked into the hall.

Once inside, you could see the marvelous planning put into this place. There was a huge stone dome on the ceiling, and the arches holding it up left openings that were sealed with glass. The light entered through the window, and struck an enchanted artifact that cast the light in all directions, illuminating the room. There was a round pool in the middle of the room that was hidden by the roundtable over the pool. In the surrounding walls were books and scrolls, and in the back was the training room, where one would take and hopefully pass any test of combat skill. Aropia and Flame sat side by side at one end of the round table, while Terrador sat at the other end.

"So why did you call us here?" Aropia asked.

"We cannot have any more search parties. It is draining our resources, and we keep jeopardizing the safety of all who go with you." Terrador started.

Aropia's jaw dropped. "You can't do that! I demand that you-!" She was interrupted.

"Maybe in your kingdom Princess Aropia, but you are not of any power here." Terrador started.

Aropia held her breath. "Fine! I'll go myself then!"

"If you so desire," Cyril said, stepping into the light. "But we must warn you, the food markets are slow this season, and you'll only have what you can take."

"Besides, it's been about a year, nearly twelve moon cycles, three hundred and twenty-five days,-" Volteer added.

"We get it Volteer!" Aropia shouted. "Fine, I'll search for Spyro all by myself. You have forgotten your hero! For shame!" Aropia shouted.

"Quite the contrary. We've got a celebration planned!" Terrador said.

"A what?" Aropia said.

"Yes, we plan on celebrating the year's anniversary of the, uh, "new" world. We'll call it Day of Dawn. For the sun rose on a new day in one moon's time a year ago, giving hope and a beacon to which we can all be reminded of our second chance. Bring as many newcomers as you can, if you go out." Terrador stated.

"Oh, I'm going!" Aropia shouted as she left. Flame Followed in close pursuit.

"Your majesty," Flame started, "I also wish to join you." Flame said

"Well Duh! You're my bodyguard." Aropia stated. As they gathered materials, Quintessence watched from the shadows.

As they left the grand city, Quintessence followed. She had been disobedient to Queen Jade and never confronted Princess Aropia on her arrival, not that she might have been able to if she tried. There were too many dragons that wanted to see her on political matters, and that would take ages to only become a slave to the Princess. Maybe by trying to help her find her future husband, that would make up for a month or two's worth of, uh, serving.

"Q! Where ya go'n!?" Chip exclaimed as she started to follow the group. Flame heard Chip and took a defensive pose.

"State your name and business." Flame said as he flew towards Quintessence and Chip.

Quintessence took a hard swallow. "I'm Quintessence, but you can call me Quin. This is my brother Chip, and we are the dragonets of Maid Emerald. We wish to aid you at your mother's demand." Quin said.

"There's not enough food." Flame said seriously.

"And that's fine! I'll gather my own food and supplies if you'd let me!" Quin stated, putting her talons in the air as Flame flexed his talons.

"Let them come. The more the merrier." Aropia said. Then they flew out if the city.

* * *

Wow. A full year. Nearly. Yet he needed to help his friend. She was ill, and she wasn't getting any better. Working, he tried to earn enough for a dose of medicine, yet he didn't even know what she had. He decided to look in a library. Maybe that would bring an answer.

"Let's see." He said, walking down the many rows of scrolls in the library. "Her symptoms are dizziness, fever, uh, hallucinations, trauma. She just seems, well, out of it." Then it clicked. He rushed over to the spot where he saw it. Weary Wings. He removed the scroll from the shelf. "Let me see. 'Symptoms: nausea, fever, hallucinations, nightmares, vomiting, loss of weight, loss of sight.' Check check check and check. 'Very Contagious.' Gee, thanks. Um… 'No known Cure.' What do you mean 'no known cure'!?" he tore the scroll in half in a rage.

"Excuse me? Are you going to pay for that?" The librarian asked.

"Yes, sorry," Spyro said. He pulled out a silver coin and paid the fine. He walked out. He sat against a wall. He looked to the sky. "What am I to do now?" Not a minute later, a homeless mole sat beside him. In rags and in a poor state of health.

"Ya know som'thin son?" the mole said to the dragon.

"I'm sorry, sir. Are you talking to me?" the male asked.

"Yes. I am talking to you."

"Sorry. Um, hi. Can I help you?"

"The real question is can I help you!? Hehe. I overheard your anger. Is a loved one ill?" The dragon nodded. "*Sigh*. Wearing wings?" The dragon nodded again. "Well, I did know a guy. He had found a cure to Wearing Wings, but, its secret remains with Megolishon City's private library. The creator went into hiding."

The dragon looked at the mole. "W-where is this library?" the dragon asked.

"Megolishion City. But boy you should never go there."

"I have to."

"Not when someone who's read that scroll is sitting right next to ya."

"You know the cure?"

"Yes. And because you were so polite, I think I'll share it with ya."

* * *

"Let's see here. We have been North and West. We need to head east now." Aropia stated. She closed her map, and they started east.

"Um, Princess? Where's the first stop?" Quintessence asked.

"You need to address me with 'Your Majesty'." She snapped.

Quintessence rolled her eyes. "Your Majesty, where is the first stop?"

"It's a few hour's flights from here. It has some shelter we can use for tonight."

"We could always just camp." Quintessence offered.

"Oh gosh no! How could you even offer that!? Sleeping on dirt! Ehck."

Quintessence turned towards Flame. He gave her the 'I know I know. Pathetic.' sort of look. Then there was a slight moment where time froze. Quintessence saw Chip hold a ball of dirt and tried to hide it. Then it flew through the air. All in a split second.

"What the!? AAAAAAAAAAHH! You threw dirt at me! HOW DARE YOU!" Aropia was furious. She started chasing Chip everywhere in the air. "You'll pay dearly!"

Eventually, Princess Aropia calmed down. She washed off her back in the nearby stream, and she lectured Quintessence on discipline, to which Quintessence simply replied, "Hey, I'm not his parent." After a few hours of flight, they arrived in a small town. After being recognized, Aropia got her demand and got a pleasant place to stay. Quintessence and Chip were left outside in the cold to learn a lesson.

* * *

The male dragon awoke the next day. Granted, he never did fall asleep. He lied and watched his friend dying before his eyes. He couldn't sleep. How could he? The Mole had given him the information, and he prayed that it would work. He kissed her on the forehead and left. He went out to earn a wage. Flying into the market, he walked around until he found the ingredient he was searching for. There it was. "Excuse me?"

"Hey! You're a dragon! Haven't seen one of ye in a while."

"Yeah, um. Can you tell me how much the fish is?"

"This one?"

"Yes, that one."

"Oh, it's uh, two gold pieces." The male dragon looked off into the distance with a worried expression.

"Okay. I'll be back in a couple of weeks." He rushed off, looking for a job that could pay him. Yet he did not know where to find a fine paying job in such a small town. "Weeks. I can't watch her suffer for weeks." He hung his head. "Not like this." He said, looking up. He looked for a job for the rest of the day. "Excuse me! Would you pay two gold pieces for a couple week's work?"

"Sorry pal. I don't have that pay for a new guy."

"I can do anything. I'll move mountains, I'll melt the earth."

"Sorry bud, I can't help you."

"Excuse me! Can I work for two gold pieces? In a couple of weeks?" The guy started laughing and walked off.

Another dragon overheard his conversations. He was a dark brown dragon, with many scars. He was blind in the left eye, and he wore a sort of sachel around himself. It was worn and torn, but on it was some talons and teeth. Spyro shivered. He had a limp on his right leg and was missing a talon on his right forearm, and two on his left hind leg. His red underbelly made it all the more terrifying. The giant dragon came over to him. "I'll hire ya. Two gold pieces in two weeks. How's that sound? You're young and agile and desperate."

"What am I going to do?"

"You said you'd move mountains, melt the earth. I'm curious about what you can do. So, why don't you come with me now, start working, and I'll pay you the two gold pieces in the two weeks you work for me. Do we have a deal?"

"What am I doing?"

"*Sigh*. You wanna make a fast two gold pieces, well, you're gonna have to fight for it."

"I will not fight anyone for anything. My fighting days are over."

"Boy, you look like yours have just begun!"

"The answer is no."

"Now I'll tell ya something. No one, and I mean no one, has ever said no to General Difirem. (Dif-fear-ram)"

"Well, I'm the first. No. I will not fight for money." The dragon stormed away.

"You'll regret this! Hehehehe." He started laughing.

Another few hours passed, and the dragon finally found a hirer. "So I build three housing buildings a day, and in fourteen days, You'll pay me two gold pieces?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay. Deal."


	4. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

About two weeks have passed, and Quintessence stuck to her word, gathering food for Chip and her herself, leaving the other supplies to Aropia and Flame. "We need more supplies, Aropia, if we are to last the rest of the week." Flame stated.

"There is a small town due West." Quintessence said, overhearing their conversation. Everyone looked towards her. "What? I've studied maps." She said in defense.

"Nerd." Chip snickered to himself. Quin slapped him with her wing. "Hey!" He shouted.

"Then that's where we're going," Aropia said. "Come on!" It took the rest of the day of renavigating because of the new terrain of the world, but near the end, they spotted the city's lights as the sun fell.

"Awwww! The sun is going to bed, which means I have to go to bed!" Chip said, defeated. They set up camp for the night, and as Quintessence put Chip to bed, Aropia caught Flame gazing upon her. Flame saw her in the moonlight and with the fire's glow off her scales, Aropia made a marvelous sight to behold. Her red scales highlighted with black, and orange scattered along her body. Her jewelry contrasted, even more, having blue sapphires and diamonds, which highlighted her blue eyes, which Flame thought popped out like a flower in a field of grass.

"Flame?" Aropia said, waving her arm in front of her trying to catch his attention. Flame snapped out of it.

"S-sorry. I was thinking about something. Good night Aropia." He said as he rolled up and dozed off. He was extremely mad at himself for telling Aropia of the stories he heard of the Purple Dragon when he was younger. That drove her down the path of her love for Spyro. He developed a hatred for Spyro. Aropia settled herself down and started dozing off. But right as everyone had fallen asleep, Quintessence stayed up a little while longer. She was pondering on if she could find the Purple Dragon by warping to him if he was still alive. Granted, she never met him, so she would never be able to. Maybe she could artificially locate his spirit?

The next day, they packed their supplies, and Aropia was still hopeful of their search. Yet, of course, they needed to find the village first. They flew west. "This is in the opposite direction we need to search!"

"The Day of Dawn celebration is not far off. We should return soon anyway to resupply and for shelter on the way back." Flame said.

"Well, despite maybe not finding him this trip, we're gonna find Spyro, even if it takes the rest of our lives!" Aropia stated.

"What?" Chip asked.

"Uh, I'll take a pass on that-" Quintessence said.

"Oh no. We'll look in every crevice, under every rock in this world!" Aropia stated.

"You can do that!?" Chip exclaimed.

"It's a figure of speech," Quin said.

"I'm being serious," Aropia stated.

"Hey! There's the town!" Flame stated. Flame started flying down.

"You think Spyro is down there?" Chip asked.

"Probably not. Why would a legendary hero stay in this buffeted town?" Aropia stated.

"So high and mighty stay in high and mighty places?". Chip inquired.

"Yep." Aropia leaned towards Quintessence as they flew down. "I like your brother. He's smart." She said.

"Oh, thank you. He's annoying the rest of the time though." Quin said. Aropia giggled. Over the past two weeks, Aropia has become close friends with Quintessence, seeing as she was the only other dragoness her age willing to be friendly towards her. She started opening up, and they treated each other's as equals, mostly.

They walked into an alley, and they saw that the town wasn't as deserted as they had thought. A whole marketplace stood in this alley, but they made out one individual to be unique above everyone else. The street was packed with moles and Wyverns. "Here. We'll meet back outside at the entrance after we have everything we need.". Quintessence said. They all agreed, and Quintessence and Chip split from Aropia and Flame. As Quintessence walked down one of the alleyways, a disagreement caught her ear. She looked over and saw a dirty looking dragon standing in front of a clerk. This is the first time she's seen another dragon in the past two weeks.

"But it was two gold pieces a few days ago! I came and checked every day for the past two weeks! I just got the second gold piece of my pay today! Why does the fish cost three today?" The male asked.

"Sorry. It's three gold for the fish." The Cheetah said from behind the counter.

The dragon sighed. "Can I pay you the rest next week?"

"Sorry, store rules."

"I need that fish! It's for medicine!" The male shouted. "Please, I'll pay you back next time I see you. My best friend is dying! I've already worked for this for two weeks!" he stated. But the Cheetah shook his head.

"Look here kid, I wanna help, I really do. But it's gonna cost ya." The young dragon looked down in defeat.

"It's on me." Quintessence said. As she dropped a gold piece on the counter. The dragon looked at her, and then back at the clerk.

"You know it's a gold piece you're giv'n him, right?" The store clerk said.

"I know. But he said it was for medicine, so he needs it more than I do."

"Alright." The clerk said as he took the money that Quintessence and the young dragon put on the table, and handed the male dragon the fish. The male dragon took out a small leather pouch, full of water. He placed the fish inside.

He took it and looked towards Quintessence. The male was younger than her by the looks of it, and the cloak he wore covered most of his scales. His tail was showing, but the dragon was covered in so much dirt and grass stains that covered his original scale color, but the dirt made it look like a red scaled dragon with golden, greenish horns. Yet his most definitive trait was his eye color. They were the definition of purple, and she never saw any purple in any eyes of any dragon she'd ever seen. She felt his essence radiating, the strongest and most pure she'd ever felt as if he just stood there with the strength of one hundred dragons. Stronger than the Guardians themselves in the same room combined!

"You do know the fish is dead, right?" The shopkeeper said.

"It's not dead." The male said. He put his talons in the water, and a faint glow was given off, but it was so faint that it wasn't seen in broad daylight. A moment later, the belly up fish flipped and started squirming around the pouch.

Chip looked at the fish. "Whoa…" he stated

The shopkeeper and Quintessence stared in shock. "I have to go now.". He took off in a hurry.

"Wait…" Quintessence started to say

She took flight after him, Chip following his sister, but once the dragon turned behind a cloud, she whipped around the cloud to find him gone. Now how did a dragon that young disappear like that?

"Quin! What's wrong?" Aropia asked, coming up into the sky with her. "I saw someone take off and, well, you flew after it. What was that?"

"Where did he… but… where… I just met another dragon."

"You did!?" Aropia asked.

"Yeah, but he was young. Younger than I, but…"

"He!? *Gasp*"

"No, no purple scales as far as I could tell. But he was perhaps your age Aropia." Quintessence stated.

"Did you invite him to Warfang?" Flame asked, flying up, Chip still flying around the clouds in search of their mysterious new comrade.

"Sorry, I…"

"Come on! We can't show up to the Day of Dawn celebration without at least another!" Flame shouted.

"If he is my age, he must have parents out here. We're nearly the last of our generation that survived." Aropia stated.

"Yeah, I guess," Quin said.

"Well, we'll camp here and wait for him to come back! Then we'll say 'heeeeellooooo!'" Chip exclaimed. He did a loopy loop and looked back at the group. "What?"

* * *

Our stranger pushed aside a four-ton boulder and entered the cave it concealed. He walked in and took the cloak off, and then gems along the walls started to glow as he walked passed them. He walked all the way to the back of the cave, to where a pool existed. The young male slowly got in and started scrubbing at his scales. He put the fish into the water, and it started swimming in the pool and consuming the dirt that was being scrubbed away. Rays of sunlight sneaked through the hidden windows, which were concealed by the masterful framework done and the shadow touched (enchanted with the shadow element) soil that sat comfortably in the frame. The young male went under water, and took the fish and stroked the underside, causing it to expand and release a chemical into the water. The young male froze the water around the fish, scaring the fish away, but it froze the substance he needed. He took hold of it and left the pool. He dried himself and quickly built a stone bowl. He put the Frozen chemical in the bowl and blasted it with fire. It melted to a boil, to which the young male started putting in the other ingredients he bought at the market today with the extra pay he received for the extra housing buildings he built, making the broth edible. He took the bowl to the back of the cave, to which a young dragoness slept.

"Psst. Cynder. Cyyynnnddder." The young male said, nudging her awake.

She woke, exhausted. "Hmm?"

"Here, drink." The male said, and she drank. Once she was done, the young male placed the bowl back into the ground. He went to his room and grabbed a blanket. He placed it over Cynder, and she stopped shivering. The male made a rocky chair from the ground, and lay there, watching Cynder where she was sleeping. Oh how much he wanted to comfort her more.

"Mfm. Spyro." Cynder whispered as she smiled. She fell back asleep as she snuggled up against Spyro's blanket that he had brought her. Spyro looked up and stared at her.

"I pray this works."


	5. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Quintessence, Chip, Flame, and Aropia all settled back at camp. The sun was setting on the earth, hitting a few scattered islands in the air which made for beautiful scenery if scattered shadows across the landscape.

"Okay okay okay okay. Let me hear this again. You saw a fight." Aropia said.

"Uh-huh," Quin replied back, taking a bite into an apple.

"Between a dragon teen and a cheetah clerk."

"Mm-hm."

"And you paid for the young dragon's purchased item because he was poor."

"Uh, no. I paid for what he couldn't. He said it was for medical reasons." she said, taking another bite of the apple.

"O-okay. So then he brought a dead fish back to life, and flew off without a trace?"

"Yep."

"So he must be nearby." Flame stated.

"Why do you care so much? No-no offense." Quin quickly added.

"I'm sick of failure on our searches. If we could help one dragon obtain a better life, whether it be in Warfang or in Megolishion City, and that's the only family we find in a year's worth of searching. Then hell, one a year is worth it." Flame stated.

"Wow. Moving words." Chip said, clapping. "I wanna find this guy!"

"Yeah, same." Flame said enthusiastically.

"But how do we find him before the Day is Dawn celebration?" Aropia asked concerned. "Besides, aren't we still looking for Spyro?"

"Yeah, but what if this young male is the only one we can find? Don't you think we should at least help someone?" Quin asked.

"Humph," Aropia said as she curled up and fell asleep.

"Well, we'll camp out, and we'll ask the next time we see him. He has to come back eventually." Flame said.

Hours later, as morning came, Quin warped to the dragon she had helped but made sure to warp a small distance away from the young dragon as not to scare him. But when she came out if her warp, she was greeted with something she never expected.

* * *

Sunlight that sneaked through the window awoke the young male dragon. Yet he noticed immediately that the dragoness he watched over last night wasn't there. He sprang to life and went out of the room to see the dragoness in the pool. She was relaxed, and she looked as if she gained a lot of her strength back.

"Mmmmmmm." She stated, sinking into the water.

Spyro walked over behind her and scared her. "Hello."

"Ah!" Cynder said as she jumped a little.

"You look better."

"I feel better. But your scare might make me ill again." She said teasingly. Spyro rolled his eyes. "Also, what's with the fish?" She asked, for it was swimming around her and eating the dirt coming off her scales.

"A mole told me about it's healing properties. I had to get it first though, but that took two weeks of pay." Spyro said.

"You got a job?" Cynder asked.

"Yeah, I did. I did it for Freddy here."

"For him!? What? Am I not good enough." The female teased.

"No no no! Sorry sorry sorry!" Sorry started saying, thinking she actually took it the wrong way.

"Spyro I'm kidding," Cynder stated.

"Oh, uh…"

She dragged him into the water by throwing him over her shoulder, yet she struggled for she was sick for the past two weeks. The male made a big splash. He came up and started laughing. "Now Cynder! *coughing and laughing* You're still *coughing* recovering!" He said, splashing water at her.

"Oh, I feel great." She said They continued laughing, and Spyro crawled up next to Cynder. Freddie swam around Spyro's and Cynder's legs and was tickling to the touch.

"Are you cold?" Spyro asked.

"No. Well, maybe just a little." Spyro blasted fire into the water, heating up the water around them, and Cynder sank into the water in relaxation. Freddie started to swim away, finding cooler water by the end of the pool. Cynder leaned up against Spyro, and he was hesitant, but he looked at her as she laid her head on his chest. Spyro wrapped his wing around her. It was a wonderful moment. All ruined by a scream they heard.

"Aaaaaaa!" The voice shouted from the hallway. Spyro jumped out of the pool, and Cynder started to follow, but Spyro mouthed to Cynder " _Stay, you're still recovering!"_ Cynder sank back into the water, mad the moment was ruined and that she couldn't join. Spyro slowly started to get closer to the entrance and noticed he was not ready to face what lay beyond the walls. Spyro used his earth ability, and thanks to his wet scales, was able to throw dry dirt on himself that could stick, hiding his purple scales and coloring them a dirty reddish color. He grabbed his cloak that lay at the entrance and threw it on, just in case. He walked out, cautiously. Who had stumbled into the cave was not who he expected.

"Hey! Help ME". The white dragoness shouted as she saw the cloaked figure. She was being chased by the terror traps Cynder had planted for their secret safety.

"Close your eyes. Calm down."

"WHAT!? Close my eyes? Are you nuts!?"

"Yeah, I am. Just do it!" the cloaked figure shouted. The white dragoness closed her eyes. "Now take some deep breaths, and they'll all go away."

She took deep and calming breaths. She opened her eyes, and her terrors were gone. "How did you…"

"I had fear enchanted traps installed around here."

"Umm… okay, but why? And, uh, how?"

"Why are you here again?" Spyro asked, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, right! Silly me! Sorry to bother you, but I was going to ask you to come with me!" She said enthusiastically.

"You're the girl from the shop that helped me," Spyro said, realizing her.

"Yeah, I'm Quintessence, but you can call me Quin. Or 'Q'. Or whatever. What's your name?"

"I, uh, I'm, I'm …" but Spyro couldn't think of a name. He scratched the back of his neck. No one had asked, well, a few have, but before he could answer or think of an answer to their question, they got distracted. He was always "kid" or "hey you!". He never thought of what to say when someone asked his name. Not recently at least.

"You mean you don't know your own name?" Quintessence said, shocked.

"I, uh, guess not," Spyro said in defeat.

"How?"

"How what?"

"How do you not have a name?"

"I guess I was never given one. You can call me whatever. Quin. 'Q'." He said in a joking manner. They both laughed. Neither dragons realized that Cynder was using her shadow ability to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Oh, okay, how about, uh…Muck. I'll call you Muck, cause, you're always covered in dirt and Muck." Quin said and giggled.

"Muck. Okay then. I'm Muck from now on."

"So… are you alone?" Quintessence asked.

"I have a friend. But why are you here?"

"Right! The medicine! You must be with someone."

"Yeah…"

"May I meet your friend as well?"

"Well, she's still recovering-"

"She!?" Quin exclaimed. Spyro just stared, and that helped Quin focus, sadly not to a topic Spyro wanted to talk further about. "Wait, what does she call you by if you don't have a name?"

"Uh-" he was cut off.

"I call him many things," Cynder said, stepping out from the entrance. She was slow but showed major improvement in strength. Cynder had covered herself in sand and in dirt, making her look like a dark sandy red-brown. Her eyes were a different color, most likely from her shadow element hiding her emerald green eyes. They were a blue-black color.

"Oh. Hello! I'm Quintessence. And what do you call Muck by?"

"Let's see here, dumb dumb, uh, squid brain. Cat. Mr. Selfless. Umm, really anything." she said. "Muck is a new one, but fitting."

"So what's your name?"

"Oh, I'm Midnight. Nice to meet you," she said. Cynder had been working on a cover name, and one day when she was helping out with Spyro, they stayed up till midnight until the stars faded behind the clouds. The day they saved the world. She likes the reminder of that night, so she stuck with it when introducing herself.

"So I heard you're sick." Quintessence said, taking a step back.

"Yeah. But Mr. Selfless saved up for two weeks to save me from whatever I had." She said. "What did I have?" she asked as she turned to Spyro, who seemed to be staring into space.

"Weary wings," Spyro said, still feeling concerned about her. He looked towards Quintessence.

"*Gasp* There's a cure to weary wings!?"

"Uh, yeah?" Spyro said. "I'm sorry," he said, cutting off Quintessence next question, "you're here because…" he asked.

"Oh! Right! Sorry, sorry. I came here to find you, and wow, I did. But, umm, my friends and I have been searching for Spyro for a couple of weeks, well, actually my brother and I have. Princess Aropia and Flame have been searching for nearly a year." Spyro showed concern.

"Have you found him?"

"No, no we haven't." Relief struck Spyro's face. "You don't happen to know where he is?"

"Hehe, oh no. No, we don't."

"I can't believe it's been a year already since Spyro pulled the world back together." Quintessence said.

"Yeah. I can't believe it either." Spyro said to himself. "A whole year."

"So anyway, we wanted to invite you to Warfang. There's going to be a Day of Dawn celebration. The anniversary of, well, you know, the new world."

"I'll pass."

Cynder looked at him like he was mad. "What!?"

"But you have to come! Please! We really really want you to come. Maybe we can get you a nice place in Warfang. We could go to Megolishion City later. Come on. Please?"

"One second." He said to Cynder. "Look, I'll think about it. But I won't promise anything." Spyro said.

"Alright. See you couple in the morning." She turned around. Cynder looked away at the mention of them being a couple with a blush. "Umm, how do I get out of here?"

"Well, I assume the same way you got in," Spyro stated.

"Right. The same way I got in. Umm…". A few moments of silence passed.

"Here," Spyro showed her towards a wall, and with one arm, pulled back a four-ton boulder.

"Whoa…" Quintessence stared in shock. She turned around, "don't be late!" she said, and walked out. Spyro sealed the door behind her.

"Why don't you want to go!? It's about you!"

"Sure, but the crowds, the possibility of our secret being exposed. I don't like it, Cynder."

"Spyro," she sat down and gave Spyro a very determined look. "You, of all dragons, need to go to this," Cynder said, putting a talon on Spyro's shoulder.

"You're still recovering-"

"And I'll be fine, thanks to you.". A pause. "You deserve to be appreciated."

"And so do you."

"But without you, I would never have been able to do what I've done. Let's go. If you won't do it for yourself, will you do it for me?"


	6. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Wait wait wait. Do you mean to tell me that you found this guy? And we're calling him Muck? Of all things, Muck?" Aropia said.

"Yes! He's also got a friend, you know, the one who needed the medicine." Quin stated.

"And you said he has the full mastery of earth to move, a four-ton boulder!? A four-ton boulder with one arm!?" Flame said. "That must be an exaggeration."

"The giant rock was the size of the entrance to Warfang and had a width of its walls!" Quintessence defended herself. Flame's jaw dropped. "Yeah, I know!"

"So when do we meet Muck! Muckers, Mucky!" Chip said.

"I feel kinda bad we're calling him Muck," Aropia said.

"Well, what do you wanna call him? He doesn't have any parents out there."

They all felt bad for the guy. Flame didn't. He actually started to smile. He might just have another friend who knows what it's like to not have a family. "Well, we've still got a moon's time." Quintessence said. "Let's just, I don't know, maybe relax."

About an hour later, Aropia and Flame found themselves shopping. "I don't know Flame. Don't you think Spyro could still be out here?"

"Sure, but we should try and persuade them to come, and have them maybe, I don't know, stay? Maybe they know something about Spyro's whereabouts."

"But we should find him now. I know we only have about a moon's time before-"

"Aaaaa! Somebody help!". Everyone turned into the direction of the screaming. There was a dragon, and an army of maybe thirty, but he didn't look or act friendly.

"Citizens of this town. I know you have some dragons here. Care to show me? For this?" He said, holding up a child. It was a cheetah Cub, and he was crying for help.

"Flame, we need to…" Aropia was cut off.

"We need to get you to safety." Flame said, taking her by the forearm.

"But we have to…"

"Now!"

"Dragons!? Come out, come out wherever you are." The radiating dark dragon said.

"Please! That's my son!" A woman shouted. But before anything else happened, Aropia and Flame ran into some Soldiers.

"Flame!" She shouted. Flame started to fight them off, but five soldiers finally bested him and held him down. Another three aimed their weapons at Aropia.

"Sir! We've got a fighter." a soldier said, struggling to keep Flame's head down.

"Excellent. He'll be a wonderful addition to the team."

"Hello!? Anyone!?" Aropia shouted. She turned to a laughing dragon. "I demand you to release me!"

"What? I didn't know you were Queen of the world." A soldier said. They all started snickering. But his laughter was cut short by the cloaked figure walking into the town.

"State your name and business!" A soldier said, taking earth from the ground and shaping it into a spear ready to pierce the heart of the wandering spirit.

The cloaked figure moved his head slightly, and the earth spear was now made of mud and fell through the soldier's talons. The cheetah soldiers had their bows and arrows ready. "Freeze!" Another soldier stated, blasting ice at the cloaked figure. Yet the cloaked figure walked through it and stood before the guards.

"Surrender."

"No." The next thing they know, the two soldiers are knocked out on the floor, tied up, and placed in a small hole, where only their heads were exposed to keep them alive. The cloaked figure walked into the town. Flame had been subdued by the earth soldiers, immobilizing him so he could not breathe his element or battle it out with his talons. Aropia just took earth cuffs, finding it less aggressive, and she sat beside Flame. The cloaked figure walked into the scene.

"Hello?" Aropia asked.

"Ah, finally. The dragon we were sent to find. The cloaked vigilante." a soldier said, turning around, preparing for an attack. The soldiers all quickly took a pose alongside him, ready to fight the dragon.

"So this is all just a game to you?" The dragon asked disgustedly.

"I still don't get how you're so small. You said no two weeks ago to my very generous offer, and well, well, I told you. No one says no to General Difirem," Difirem stated, "I'll just make you fight."

Aropia and Flame couldn't see. The guards were in the way. "Hey! I want to watch!" Aropia shouted. Flame rolled his eyes.

"Really?" Flame questioned.

"Whaaaat?" Aropia said in defense. "I want to see some action!"

"Release your hostages! Leave this town!" The dragon yelled.

"Oh, but I'm afraid not. You see, I've been told you know something about the whereabouts of the, what is it? Legendary, purple dragon, as well as your combat skills, being very high. Care to share?"

The dragon in the cloak started walking in circles with the general. The two circled each other. "If you're willing to be thrown out without any information, then yeah, let's see how this ends, general."

"General Difirem (Dif-fear-rem) to you! And, no, I'm enjoying my stay."

"Let those hostages go, then we can all get a share in enjoyment." the cloaked dragon said with a more aggressive voice.

"I feel fine not sharing it, thank you very much."

"Let them go Difirem."

"See that is all of your kind's weakness. The innocent must live, even if it means that the hero is lost for the civilian."

"Well then, I guess you'll never hear what I know."

"So you do know where he is."

"Eh. Maybe. He's probably long gone. Besides, why would I tell you? I'll just keep saying no. Niet. Nein. Non. I could keep going." the cloaked figure teased.

"Bah! I've just got to capture you, and my interrogators should do the rest. Seize him, boys!" The fight started with the earth dragons throwing rocks at high velocities, but they disintegrated into dust, covering the battlefield. The cloaked figure didn't even move. The dust settled, and all the soldiers were in shock. The archers fired their arrows, but a strong wind blew them off course. He moved his talons, and in one quick move, had every guard immobilized by knocking them out with a rock a piece. Around forty of them at once. The cloaked figure walked over too Flame and Aropia. He slashed the shackles that were on their talons and freed them. He turned to Difirem. "This is your last warning general. Go home." The cloaked figure said.

The soldiers were helping each other up and started walking away from the cloaked figure. "We're not done. But for today, we'll call this a draw." Difirem blasted fire at the cloaked figure, only for it to be split down the middle. The cloaked figure looked to Flame. "Take good care of her. She's just in shock, but a few bruises here and there nonetheless." The cloaked figure shook Aropia awake and helped her up. She opened her eyes and marveled at the young dragon. She had lost all thought of Spyro, of Flame, of anything, and just stared at her hero. The young dragon flew over to the young cheetah that he freed. "Let's find your mother." They looked for a minute, and after they found her, the cloaked figure took to the skies and disappeared.

"You're serious!?" Quintessence said.

"Yeah. Like a Guardian angel. He was so, magnificent. So, so…" Aropia was lost in her thoughts.

"Flame? Is she," She drowned her voice a little, "falling in love with-?"

"No! I don't even know what happened. We were captured, and some guy just shows up and takes the whole army on in a blink of an eye. It was all a set up if you ask me." He said.

"Is there someone up there?" Chip shouted, breaking the conversation.

"I think that's Muck." Quintessence said.

"MUUCKERRRRS!" Chip shouted in an excited, deep voice.

Muck and his friend landed. "Hello. I'm, uh, Muck, I guess. And this is Midnight." Spyro said, introducing his friend. She was a chalky black-brown with some red here and there. Her membranes were magenta, and her underbelly was a brownish magenta. Her eyes were a glowing blue-black, which no one had ever seen in their lives. For Quintessence, Muck's eyes had changed as well. They were now a dark blueish color and not the purple she thought he had. She didn't know why, but she felt like they were hiding something.

"You!" Flame said, recognizing him by his voice. He quickly charged the young dragon, pinning him to the ground. "Did you think that was funny!?"

"What!?" Muck said, pinned to the ground.

"Flame! What is the meaning of this!?" Aropia demanded.

"Let me go Flame," Spyro said. "No one has to get hurt."

"And you think that sweet set up back there was justified!?" Flame shouted in rage.

"Flame, what makes you think I would want to set that up?"

"I don't know! Maybe to woo Aropia over there! She seems to have bought it! I heard you're poor, so maybe marrying get would raise your class a little."

"Flame! That's enough!" Aropia shouted. "He saved your life and mine! That's final!"

"Yeah, sure. But I also remember he had information on Spyro if anyone cares." Flame said, stomping away.

"You do?" Aropia asked. Quintessence looked hurt as she looked over in his direction.

Spyro stared at Quintessence's expression. He looked down in defeat. "I swore to never tell." He finally said. "It had something to do with not wanting to put friends in danger or, or in uncomfortable positions, or something like that."

"Please! We need that information!" Aropia begged.

"I told you, I can't."

"You're poor! I could get you whatever you want! Gold, jewels, uh, a better class for you-"

"I said no. I'm just keeping a promise."

"But so many want to see him everywhere! I'm to marry him for crying out loud!" Aropia shouted. Cynder looked down in surprise and clenched her front talons. Spyro's face was in surprise.

"Marry him?" he asked.

"Yes. He is my fiance."

"Have you ever met him? He's not your type." Spyro said.

"No. He's my future mate, and I need to know where he is. Tell me where he is."

"No is no." Aropia stared at him and went to chase down Flame.

"What's with your eyes?" Quintessence asked Spyro, leading them off the conversation.

"What?"

"They, they're different," Quin said. Spyro was shaking his head like he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Sorry?" Spyro said.

"Nevermind." Quintessence said.

"Hello!" Chip said, forcing the conversation to a close. "I'm Chip. The scariest, bestest dragon to ever walk the earth!" Chip shouted.

Muck chuckled. "Alright. Whatever you say."

"Yes!" Chip said, victorious.

"I'm sure you know Flame and Princess Aropia." Quintessence said, holding her wing towards the direction they were in.

"Muck, Midnight, you should get some sleep. Especially after saving their lives today. Thank you for that." Quintessence said.

"It was nothing. I'll be over here Cy-Midnight." Spyro said.

"Oh, okay. I wanna talk to Quintessence for a little. Quintessence right?". Quintessence nodded.

"She speaks!" Chip said, trying to lighten the mood. "Come on! That was funny!"

"Okay… so what's up?" Quintessence said, ignoring Chip.

"Why don't you come with me, uh, Chip," Spyro said.

"Alright." He started trotting over towards Spyro.

"Okay," Cynder said. Cynder walked off a little ways away from Spyro. "What did, umm, Aropia mean by marrying Spyro?"

"Uh, to put it mildly, some dumb rule she enforced in her kingdom that she and only she can marry the purple dragon and that no one is allowed to along with trying to marry her, or you die." Cynder was silent. "Are you okay? Are you a friend of Spyro too?" Quintessence asked.

"Uh, you could say that," Cynder said, and she looked over towards Spyro, who was wrestling with Chip.

"I, Chip, now appoint you as an official member of Danger Duty Domination." He snickered.

"Where did that name from?"

"Oh, my friends and I launched sheep poop at someone, and we got into trouble for performing dangerous duty pranks, and we dominated the prank awards."

"Ah. How did you pull those pranks?"

"Oh, you see, I, we-"

Spyro chuckled, and his chuckles cut off Chip. He could tell that Chip had the ability of earth. "Don't worry. I'm an earth dragon myself." Spyro said, picking up a rock, and crushing it, making it a small sculpture of a dragon.

"Whoa! Can you teach me how to do that!?"

"I could. But you can't use it to pull pranks."

"I swear I won't! Please!?" Spyro smiled.

After a nights unrest, the group started flying towards Warfang. As they traveled towards the dragon city, Aropia dropped back to talk to Muck.

"Can I have a moment with Muck, Midnight?" Cynder nodded, and flew ahead, looking back in worry.

"Hey, girlfriend!" Quintessence said to Cynder.

"Now I'm sorry if we got off on the wrong foot, so I came to start again. Hello, I'm Aropia, princess and next in line to the throne of Megolishion City," she said to Spyro.

"Hello, I'm Muck, and that is Midnight," he said, nodding his head over to Cynder.

"So, Muck, I hear that you can move massive boulders!"

"Yeah, I guess." He said, trying to avoid where Aropia was going with this.

"You know, my kingdom needs some wealth. It sounds like you have precision over the earth, and maybe you could find gems and pull those directly out of the earth."

"I can."

"Great! I could hire you and make your name a glorious name."

"No thank you," Spyro said quickly. "No name for the past two thousand years should be glorious."

"Excuse me?" Aropia said in horror and disgust.

"I didn't think records go back that far. Especially accurate records." Quintessence stated, hearing part of the conversation.

Spyro chuckled. "One record does," Spyro said, and flew up ahead of the group.

"Alright, whatever. But seriously, please think about my position I'm offering you." Aropia said as he flew up. Cynder caught up with Spyro.

"Why do you have so much resentment against her?" Cynder asked in a whisper. "You did save her."

"I don't have any resentment. Well, I lied. The whole marriage thing just, sorta caught me off guard," Spyro said.

"Me too. I didn't know that was even physically possible."

They flew the rest of the day, and no one so spoke. As night fell, Warfang was in the distance, and lights were illuminating the city, enchanting it with a warm welcoming feeling.

As Aropia feel asleep, and Quintessence put the wild Chip asleep, Spyro was nowhere to be found.

"Hey Quintessence, have you seen Spyro?" Midnight asked.

"What?"

"I mean Muck! I mean Muck. I just was confused about the conversation we had on why you were out here. Sorry. Have you seen Muck?"

"Oh." Quintessence said, laughing. "No, I saw him walk off that way, but I haven't seen him."

"Oh, okay. Thank you." Cynder said, walking off towards where Quintessence directed her. She walked for maybe ten minutes and saw a figure on a cliffside. "Spyro?" Cynder whispered. Spyro turned around.

"Oh, Cynder. You startled me." He paused "We have to remember the identities we are taking," Spyro whispered back. Cynder walked up to him and sat next to him. She nodded.

"What's wrong?" Cynder asked after a moment's silence.

Spyro sighed. "It's nearly been a year, and… and I never returned. Heck, I can't even see them as me, but as, Muck."

Cynder leaned on his side. "I'm cold." She said. Spyro wrapped his wing around her, hesitantly. He breathed some fire, and that warmed his chest, and the heat from his body helped Cynder warm up. "That's nice." Spyro chuckled. "So, is this to make up for our ruined moment at home?"

Spyro chuckled. "I guess." He paused for a moment. "Did you hear anything else about my fiance?"

Cynder playfully slapped him. "Your fiance? A dragoness you just met today? You're better than that. Plus, I think a different girl loves you more for you than for your stories."

"About that…" Spyro started, "we really never recalled what happened in the core."

"What?" Cynder asked.

"After we beat Malefor. In the core. You said-"

"Hey lovebirds. Whatcha doin?" Quintessence asked as she walked out of the forest and gazed upon Warfang's lights. "Wow. That's a sight you don't see every day." Cynder and Spyro quickly rushed out of each other's embrace.

Quintessence sat next to Cynder. "So. What are your elements? We, we really didn't talk much on the flight here."

"Oh. Well, I have earth. Midnight has wind."

"Huh. Welp, maybe you could demonstrate those abilities later for us to see."

"Well, maybe. What's your element?" Cynder asked.

"Fire." Quintessence said quickly. "Yep. Just plain o'l fire. Nothin special about that."

"And sensing another's spirit and teleporting," Spyro said. Quintessence froze.

"How did you-"

"Well, when there is only one entrance into a home buried under tons of rock; and you don't know and the intruder herself doesn't even know how she got in, well. What else could it be? You have fire. But not earth." Spyro said.

"Yeah, but I discovered an ancient scroll, and boy do I mean ancient. How do you know about it?"

"I read. Maybe not in Megolision City's libraries, but nonetheless."

"I, I-" Quintessence was speechless.

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with us." Cynder reassured her.

"Uh-huh." Quintessence slowly walked away, asking how they knew, and still in shock. Cynder continued a conversation with Spyro.

"So when Aropia asked for you to be a financer, sorta, dragon, that's what broke your trust?"

"I guess. She just seemed, well-"

"Naggy?"

"Yes!" Spyro said as if he'd been dying to get that off his chest. Cynder could understand that. "She just won't take a no for an answer."

"Well, you aren't telling her where her mate is." Spyro rolled his eyes but smiled.

"We should get back," Spyro said.

"Oh, alright." Cynder got up and started walking back. She turned around. "But first..." she tagged Spyro. "You're it!"

"Oooh, it's on!" For what seemed like a flash of time, they played tag in the field below the precipice.

"Oooh. They come back tomorrow! What if they didn't find him! Again! No no, calm down. Of course, they found him." Sparx was comforting himself.

"Sparx! Dear!"

"What ma!?"

"Son! Come to bed! Spyro will be here in the morning!" Flash said.

Sparx flew up to his housing. They were living in a dragon's quarters, due to Sparx's request. He wanted a room big enough for the family because he wanted to be with his brother again. Like they needed all that room though. The room was massive, with three beds the size for adult dragons, and the room for three to live very comfortably. It was probably Sparx who called for it though. Oh how he missed Spyro. "Stupid evil dragon not keeping her promise." Sparx said to himself. "I should have gone with them. To keep my eye on the two of them. Eww." Sparx thought of Spyro having a girlfriend, and it made him sick to his stomach. "Not on my watch."

Spyro hid in a cave. Cynder lost him and started calling out for him. "Spyro?" he pounced as she walked by. "Gotcha!"

Cynder started laughing, Spyro following her example. "Okay. Fine. *Yawn*. I'm getting tired." Cynder started to doze off. Spyro got up, and looked out of the cave, trying to see how much time there was until the sun came up again.

"We should start heading back." Spyro was given no response. He looked over, and Cynder was asleep.

"Cynder?" she gave a quick shiver, and Spyro pulled her into his embrace. He couldn't think of anything else to do, but after doing so, she stopped shivering. She smiled and snuggled up closer into Spyro's warmth.


	7. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The morning sun rose, and the trip to Warfang was off.

"Morning everyone! How'd everyone sleep?". Quintessence asked as the first to wake up to the sun. "Aw come on! Warfang is just an hour's flight!"

"Mmmmmmmffff. Five more minutes." Aropia stated. Flame emerged from his sleep like a machine. He opened his eyes, yawned, and bolted up, ready to fight against anything.

"I agree with the princess, Quinster! Just go back to bed." Chip said, muffled by his maw in the ground.

"Hey, where's Muck and Midnight?" Quin asked. Flame looked around too.

"Maybe they went early," Aropia said.

"But-" Quintessence was interrupted

"Sh. Sh sh sh sh. Sleep." Aropia said and dropped her head back into the pillow she packed.

Quintessence decided to look for the two and started off. She looked around, and it was a beautiful day. She could sense Muck close by, so he didn't leave early. It was surprising that she could sense him from a fair distance away. All the more questions it raised. The sun was just rising, and there were a few clouds here and there. They were under a precipice, and with a forest stretching out along the cliff side. In the distance, Warfang's walls could be seen and the sun rising over the town hall, and behind them stood a grassland full of wildlife, and some new creatures that supposedly were brought from another rift in time. See, pulling the world back together brought many creatures, past, present, and future to the new world. Griffons, land breathing fish, moving trees, living and breathing golems, to which some were very friendly, and many more. Quintessence searched, and found Midnight on the ground, in a cave under a precipice, wrapped in a weaved blanket of tree leaves, which was very peculiar. But when Quintessence went to wake her, the blanket radiated with a powerful aura, and which in turn mimicked a warm shelter. This was very advanced magic, so advanced that she's never seen or read of anything done like this before. Quintessence decided to leave Midnight be, and search for Muck. She walked around a little more but realized that he probably was at the cliff side, looking at the view like she had earlier in the morning. She walked towards the designated destination, and sure enough, sat a muscular dragon. From this angle, the dragon looked matured, and as if the war scared him deeper than anyone else, and for the first time, Quintessence noticed that this dragon had more to offer than what meets the eye. Muck was spinning rocks, no, boulders off the cliff in the air. Interestingly enough, it looked as if it was coal from the fires of last night, of all rocks. Maybe seven of them, but what happened astonished her. The dragon just slowly clenched his talons, pressurizing the coal, and the coal started crystalizing. Muck clenched his fist firmly, and what remained of the seven coal was seven diamonds. One was a purple-black bluish color, and the other six were red and blue. Muck then grabbed a golden frame next to him and placed each diamond in the frames. Three per bracelet, and one for a necklace. Two of the diamonds in each of the bracelets were shaped like dolphins, each jumping towards the center diamond, which was nearly split into two separate diamonds, but not quite. The diamond in the necklace was shaped in two dragons circling each other, and a gem in the center of each. The necklace was a gold frame, with gorgeous designs. Yet the diamond in the necklace was black, with a mixture of the purple inside of it. Muck used his ability and secured the diamonds in the jewelry. Muck stuffed them in a bag, and closed his eyes, and mumbled, then looked up to the sky, and turned around.

"Geez! Don't, do that!" Muck said, putting his front talons over his chest.

"Sorry! I just-I just wanted to watch." Muck set the bag down.

"What did you see?" his face in a worried manner.

"I saw you crush coal into diamonds, which who knew! Right? Then place them into the jewelry." Quintessence said. Muck took a deep breath.

"Alright.". He said, seeming relieved. He picked up the bag and started walking towards Cynder. "Ready to go?"

"Are you alright? You aren't hiding something, are you?"

"Pft. Me? Nah. I'm, uh, going to get Cynder."

"The cinders from the fire is out. What do you need cinders for?"

"Oh, uh…" realizing his mistake, he quickly tried to cover it. "I need them to make the bracelets stronger.

"Oh. Okay. Well, no cinders are left. Maybe there will be some in Warfang."

"Hehe. Yeah. Maybe. Let's go wake Midnight. Let's go to Warfang."

They walked into the cave, and Spyro nudged her awake. "What? *Yawn* Morning already?"

 **Author's note: Just curious, how many of you yawned as I wrote that? Leave a comment if you did, cause I yawned when I reread it. XD**

Five minutes later…

"I still don't know how we're leaving this early," Quin said.

"I'm telling ya, cold water works miracles," Spyro said. Cynder giggled.

Chip and Aropia were shivering in the back of the pack. "I demand a punishment! Flame!" But not even Flame would punish Muck for dumping cold water on her because he was amused by this. He was smiling, a very rare thing seen by Flame.

"I agree with P-p-princess A-aropia!" Chip exclaimed, shivering.

The conversations lasted like this for a while. Quintessence was amused, and Cynder was laughing the whole way.

Yet, something to Quintessence seemed really weird. The ability to control gold? Coal? And the pressure around it all at once? To top it all off, shape it how he so desired? Also with Midnight and Muck, they look like mates to her with the bond they shared, how they interacted, how they looked at each other, yet at the same time, they didn't. Something held both of them back. It was weird.

"Hey! Quin!" Midnight interrupted her thoughts, trying to disengage herself from Aropia and Chip yelling at Spyro.

"Oh, yeah what's up?"

"Copper piece for your thoughts."

"Just pondering."

"About…"

"Well, you and Muck, well…"

Cynder started to feel blood rush to her face. "Oh."

"Are you…"

"No," Cynder said, quickly.

"How about-"

She shook her head. "Just friends. Really-really good friends."

"But you two have something. Like, like a bond mates share. And you're not even courting?"

Cynder shook her head. "I've tried to ask, but he's always working, and I'm always working, and we, just never talk about it. I don't know why I'm telling a stranger this."

"Maybe it's easier to tell someone you don't know."

"I guess."

"So what do you do for work? What does Muck do?"

"I help in the emergency areas. More as a nurse and doctor, finding cures and antivenoms.". Cynder said. "I've just been sick myself, and if it wasn't for Muck, I probably would have eventually died."

"Well, what did you have?"

"Weary Wings was the diagnosis-," Cynder said.

"Right right, weary wings. What's the cure?"

"I don't know. Spy… Muck found out about it. He said something about a stranger who found it, went into exile, zero and have it to him."

"Huh."

"Yeah. I'll have to ask more about it later." Cynder said. Horns sounded in the distance, interrupting the conversation. Then royal trumpets, went off, announcing the arrival of Princess Aropia.

They flew down to the gates, and the gates of the newly rebuilt doors opened. The grand entrance was decorated everywhere with purple streamers, and shops with food and souvenirs.

"Welcome to Warfang. Princess Aropia, Knight Flame, any word of the purple dragon?" A guard asked, walking in front of them.

"No." Aropia sighed.

"Ah, well, you still have many moons, so don't fear. But you did bring others?"

Quin introduced Spyro and Cynder. "This is Muck, and this is Midnight.". They both waved.

"And what's your name?" the guard said to Quintessence.

"Uh, I live here already." Quintessence said. "I'm Quintessence though. I live up towards the center wall."

"Oh, so just these two?" The guard looked at Spyro and Cynder long and hard.

Cynder whispered over to Spyro, "What is he doing?". The guard started laughing.

"I'm just playing with you. Muck, was it? And Midnight. Alright, you're on the list for citizenships. Come with me."

"But we're just here for a few days sir-" Spyro was interrupted.

"Follow me!" The guard shouted, taking off. They arrived at a small lot of houses, a little close to the city wall. "You're residence until your citizenships are approved, which should not take longer than a few moon cycles, welcome to Warfang, and Happy Day of Dawn!". The guard said as he flew away. Spyro and Cynder walked into the little building. It had one bed and one chest.

"Well, this is cozy," Cynder said. Spyro opened the door and dropped his bag against the wall.

"I'll speak with them. I'll get another room."

"Wait!" Cynder said. She wanted to share the room but just couldn't say it. "Bring back some food. I'm starving!"

"Alright," Spyro said and flew out.


	8. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

When Spyro arrived back to the guard's outpost by the city's entrance, something was different. Maybe the environment and the crowds being absent, but it was different. "Hey! Sorry, do you have another room?"

"What? You have another?"

"No, uh, just personal space problems."

"Between you and your Sister?" The guard

"Uh, hehe, not my sister."

"Your mate?"

"No no! Just, could we get separate rooms?"

"Oh! I'm sorry! Let me see. Hey! BOB!"

"WHAT?"

"ANYMORE WAITING FOR YOUR RESIDENCE ROOMS!?"

"WHAT!?"

"ANY MORE WYR ROOMS?"

"NO! JUST RAN OUT FOR THE CELEBRATION!"

"Sorry pal. Maybe if you save enough, you could move up in the city." The guard said.

Spyro took a deep breath. "Can I remodel at all?"

"I don't know. Let me check. HEY BOB!"

"WHAT!?"

"CAN THEY REMODEL THE WYR ROOMS?"

"UH… LET ME CHECK! HEY JEFFREY!"

"WHAT!?"

"CAN THEY REMODEL THE WYR ROOMS?"

"UH, YEAH. WAIT! THE WYR ROOMS?"

"YEAH!"

"THEN NO!"

"OKAY! HEY LARRY! YOU CAN NOT!"

"THANK YOU!"

"YOU'RE WELCOME!"

"No, you can't. Sorry."

"I gathered that," Spyro said, rubbing at his temples. "Thanks." He took off and flew back to the room, yet he saw a problem. There were too many apartments to remember which was even his. Looking around, frantically, he searched for a familiar place, but he couldn't find anything. Every wall and building looked the same.

"Hey! Can I help you sir?" a voice asked, flying up towards Spyro.

"Uh, yeah. I've lost my way to a WYR room. Could you help me out?". Spyro turned to the sound of the voice. He turned towards a white dragon with sprinkles of blue and silver scales. His eyes were a deep blue, and his aura was cold.

"Sure. I'm Selverous. What's your name?"

"Uh, Muck. It's Muck."

"Okay, Muck. Umm…" He said, going through his residence list. "You in a WYR room?"

"Yes. I just, nevermind."

"Selverous, we're full," Larry said, flying up to him.

"Okay. Do you have a list going for the WYR rooms? Muck here has lost his way."

"Oh yeah. Mentally, I keep track of everyone. Here, you're building is, that way, by the north wall." he said, pointing towards the north.

"Thanks," Spyro said.

"Anytime. Anyway, Selverous, I think by the next full moon, you should have picked your mate. You've got plenty…" their voices faded off in the distance. Selverous continued his conversation with Larry. "You've got plenty of choices and may I remind you, also have a position no one will want to reject."

"I just, I need to find the right dragoness."

"Yes, of course. But may I remind you other dragons are in your position as we speak. Well, good luck with planning your festival!"

When Spyro arrived at the buildings, he heard a familiar voice through the door. He slowed his trot to a steady walk. He listened.

"Hey, Spyro, wanna, I don't know, go to the celebration? Well, of course, you're going, but I, umm, wanted it, maybe as a date? I, I don't know. This feels dumb." Cynder's voice was heard through the door. "Hey, dude! Wanna… No no no no. That's not it at all."

Spyro smiled and shook his head in amusement. Now he just needed to find a good way to bring it up. He quickly did a lap around the building to appear as if he just arrived. *Knock* *knock*. "Can I come in?"

"Oh! Spyro! Yes! Yes please come in," Spyro walked in.

"Remember, Muck," Spyro said.

"Oh, yeah right." She tried to laugh it off. Spyro took his talons, and shoved it into the ground, and made a lower basement room, giving them more space. "No other rooms?"

"No. I'm also not supposed to remodel and redecorate the place, but we need some room, so…". Spyro twisted the ground, and a ladder was built from the rock, and a hole big enough for him to fit was revealed, and Spyro went down with his bag. Cynder saw something shiny inside but didn't see what it was. "Oh darn, I forgot the food!" Spyro exclaimed.

"It's fine. I wasn't hungry anyway. What's in the bag?" Cynder asked reaching for it. Shiny wasn't what Spyro was known for. She was curious.

"Oh, some silver, for souvenirs perhaps." Spyro lied, quickly snatching the bag away.

"Listen, there's something I've been meaning to say, to, to talk about."

"What?"

"N-never mind. It was silly anyway." She said in retreat.

"Cynder," Spyro took her talons in his, pulling her down into the new basement of their temporary residence, "you can ask me it tell me anything. Nothing is stupid. Nothing is dumb or irrelevant. Everything matters, no matter how small of an act it may seem. Now come on, spit it out."

Cynder just smiled. "I was wondering-" Cynder stopped.

"Wondering what?" Spyro said. He stopped creating a bedroom for himself to listen to Cynder, the most important dragoness to him.

"Nevermind."

"Oh, come on! I'm serious Cynder."

Cynder smiled. Her confidence zapped and she could do it. She could ask. She could confess. "I was wondering-"

*Knock knock knock*

"Oh. Better get up." Spyro said in disappointment, climbing out of the hole with Cynder sighing and heading towards the door. Spyro covered the new room back up with his earth abilities, which became a trapdoor over his room. Cynder opened the door, and Quintessence was there with a different dragoness.

She was a pink dragoness with gold horns and a tan underbelly. There was a heart gem necklace around her neck, but it seemed to be broken. "Hey hey! I'm Ember."

"Ember and I have been friends since I moved here. She was generous enough to get Chip and I another housing space when I was hired at the records and residence facility."

"Oh, okay. Uh, hi, uh, Ember. Ca-can I help you?"

"Did we come at a bad time?" Quintessence quickly asked.

"Ye-well, no. No no, not at all." Cynder said. "What do you need?"

"I heard you're good friends with a good jeweler," Ember said. "See, I uh…"

"Your necklace?" Cynder observed.

"Bingo! *Gasp* I love that game! We should play it during girls night!"

"Girls what?" Cynder was confused.

"A girls night! What? Never been on one before!?" Ember asked.

"No. I kinda don't have any friends except Sp-Muck." Cynder caught a close one.

"Ooo, Muck. That his name?" Ember asked.

"Uh, yeah. Muck, someone's at the door for ya!"

Muck came to the door, and it felt like slow motion to Ember. She slowly fell in love. A young, muscular dragon, likely her age, who appeared that he liked to get his hands dirty, and looked like a very mature, a very respectful being. "Can I help you?" Spyro asked.

Ember gazed at him and had an instant daydream of them flying into the sunset, of how muscular he was, how confident he must be. She lost her balance and Spyro caught her.

Quintessence was worried for a second. "Ember? Are you alright-"

"Yes, yes of course." She said, coming back to the real world in Spyro's arms. He put her upright quickly, feeling very uncomfortable, and had a worried expression on his face.

Spyro started retreating back inside the room. "I'm gonna…" Spyro said, pointing back inside the room.

"Wait wait wait! Sorry, no no, mend this please." Ember said, handing Spyro the necklace.

Spyro took it and asked, "What happened?"

"Oh a fight with someone. Not important, but please mend it." Spyro took a deep breath and used his earth ability to mend the busted necklace. Ember watched in amazement, along with Quintessence. Cynder always received little gifts of rock from Spyro, and always loved how he used his ability to do wonderful things like this. "Whoa," Ember said. When Spyro gave it back, she took it, slowly. "How can I repay you!?"

"Uh, it's free," Spyro said.

"Are you sure? I can get you out of this dump!" Ember said, referring to the housing.

"Oh, uh-"

"My family has an extra room, so you could use it!" Ember said.

"I'll pass-" Spyro tried to say.

"Come on! You should just meet my family. Heck! Your friend can come too!"

"Uh, dinner doesn't sound that bad." Spyro looked to Cynder.

"Yeah, it sounds-"

"Great! Then it's a date! Tomorrow night!" she said, hugging Muck.

"What!?" Spyro and Cynder said simultaneously.

"I don't remember 'date' ever coming out of my mouth," Spyro said towards Cynder's direction.

"I'll mark it on my calendar," Ember said. Spyro slowly retreated back into the room.

"Bye Ember. Bye Quintessence." And then Spyro was out of sight.

"Alright. Look, I'll get you a bigger room, without Ember, okay?" Quintessence said with a wink at Cynder. "Ember! We gotta get ready! Jewelry, polished scales, the norm. Come on Ember!". Quin said, chasing Ember out the door. "Cynder, you're invited to the girls day out tomorrow!" she said before she left.

"Oh, okay."

"You guys can stop by earlier too! Anytime you want!" Ember shouted as Cynder closed the door.

"Spyro!?" no response. She looked around, but he wasn't here. He must be in his room downstairs. She then went to the corner where the entrance was. She lifted the trap door and poked her head in. She saw Spyro, throwing water all over his face, and rubbing, trying to wake himself up.

"It's not a date. It's not a date." He kept telling himself.

Cynder giggled. "Pssst." Spyro jumped.

"Oh, Cynder. You nearly gave me a heart attack." Spyro said. Cynder started laughing. "What?"

"You still act *giggling* like a cat."

"Come on! Not this all over again!"


	9. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Cynder had headed out with Ember and Quintessence the following morning. Spyro was still asleep underground, and he hasn't slept this long in forever, so Cynder decided to leave him alone and head out with her new friends. "So, Midnight, are you and Muck, uh-?" Ember asked.

"No. Not mates, not courting." Quintessence butted in.

Cynder gave Quintessence the ' _that wasn't your secret to tell!'_ look.

"But not siblings either." Quintessence added quickly to avoid any incoming wrath.

"So you don't mind if I ask him to this celebration as a date, would you?" Ember asked.

Cynder wanted to protest but didn't say a word. "Look! Ember! Jewelry!" Quintessence said to lead the conversation in another direction.

"*Gasp*!" Ember ran over. "Which one would Muck like? Maybe the brown one? The expensive one? *Gasp* this one." She picked up two bracelets that were shaped like dragons. The gems that they were carved out of was a stained cyan ruby. "How much?"

"Three gold." Ember threw it on the table and put them on.

"Don't you wanna get anything Midnight?" Quintessence asked. "You know, to fight fire with fire!" She elbowed Cynder. Cynder responded with a nervous laugh.

"I'll, I'll pass." She said. "Besides, I can't afford anything here."

"Muck could, I bet," Ember said. "I mean I bet he can literally rip gold from the ground! So muscular, so, strong…"

"We've set boundaries on those sorts of things. Besides, we don't need jewelry." She whispered to Quintessence.

"You mean he can literally rip gold from the ground?"

"Sure, but if we did that all the time, gold wouldn't be gold. It would be just another shiny metal from the earth."

"Huh. Never thought of it like that."

"Dolphins!" Ember shouted.

"Are you sure you don't want to fight that fire?"

"I'll pass on this one."

"Alright, suit yourself." Quintessence said. At the end of their shopping trip, Ember bought the two bracelets, a tail band, a tiara, scale gloss, and perfume. Quintessence bought a bracelet, and a necklace, and even convinced Cynder to buy a bracelet, but she knew she wasn't going to wear it, so when she saw a young dragonet in the shopping hall and gave her the bracelet. She had the best smile on her face and ran to tell her family and friends. "But that was for you!" Quin said as she witnessed the whole thing.

"But I just made that little dragoness happy," Cynder said and smiled. Then, she saw a cloud of smoke, rising into the air. She panicked and took off straight for the flaming building.

Spyro was out and about, but he was doing something besides shopping. He was looking at the new Warfang, and experiencing it fully this time, without a war at is walls. He could also run into old friends if he was lucky. Scratch that. He wanted to stay hidden. When he was wandering around, exploring the city schools, he couldn't believe how brand new everything looked. Plus the massive sheer size of the place was enough to blow anyone's mind. Yet something caught his eye. A dragoness ran near him, and Spyro overheard her cries. "Please. I need help! Anybody!?"

Spyro hesitated and looked into her desperate eyes. "How can I help?" he said, stepping out from the crowd, and they started running towards a hut, and it was on fire.

"Hello!? Help!?" Someone screamed from the inside.

"My hatchling is in there!". Someone shouted. Spyro didn't hesitate. He jumped into the flames, and gasps were heard among the crowd.

"Who's that?"

"Is he going to be alright? I don't think he's a water, wind, fire, or ice dragon! His scales seem to say he's an earth dragon!" Mummers went through the crowd as anticipation rose. Yet the cries from the burning building ceased in a split second as the entire building collapsed.

"No…" A dragoness said and fell to the ground. Others started sobbing and gaining solace from other members there. Then a miracle happened. A huge, amount of the fallen building was launched into the air. Then emerged a dragon, and he pulled out two more and carried them on his back. He dragged himself to the crowd and collapsed in front of them. There was a dragoness in his arms, and she was snuggled up against Spyro's chest. To his side was a male, maybe his age. And at his other was another male, but it was a mole, and his family came up and hugged him. A dragoness, pink like Ember, heck, it was just an older Ember, came and took the child.

"Thank the ancestors!" Some said and rushed up to Spyro. He sat up and felt dizzy and lightheaded. "You saved these dragons! How!?" One asked.

"Don't thank me. Just trying to help." Spyro said before he collapsed. Everyone around was in shock. But Spyro wasn't harmed from the fire. Instead, it was because of a beam crushing his side.

Spyro regained balance, and a child was pushing him back and forth a little bit to grab Spyro's attention. "Muck? MUCKERS!?"

"Chip?"

"I knew it! Faking a hero's death! It's the oldest trick in the book!" Chip said.

"Death? What are you…". Yet he looked around, and everyone was cheering. Cynder came rushing through the crowds. She fell down and hugged Spyro.

"Every day." She said. "Every single day."

"What?" Spyro asked. "Ugg. Watch the ribs, please."

"What!?" Cynder stated with worry.

"Broke a rib or two. A beam fell on me."

"You have me scared to death every day, Spyro," Cynder whispered into his ear, pulling him into a hug. Spyro chuckled.

"Everyone settle down!" A voice stated. The entire crowd died down the cheering. "Now what is going on here?" Selverous asked. He looked in Spyro's direction and saw Cynder helping him up. "Hello. What happened?" Selverous asked Spyro and Cynder.

"Fire." Spyro started coughing. "I'm gonna-"

"You mustn't go! You're hurt!" Selverous turned to the audience. "Anyone have a stretcher? Hello!?" He turned around, but Spyro and Cynder were gone. "Where…"

"Where did they go?" That question rushed through the crowd.

"Quiet," Selverous said but to no avail. "QUIEEEEET!" That worked. "Alright, what happened?"

"There was a fire, and a dragon, brown, earth type maybe-" someone started to say.

"Yes yes, we know his details," Selverous said. "Did he do this!?" Selverous said.

"No no! He rushed into the fire and saved my daughter's life. My child's life."

"And my father!" Another shouted from the crowd. It was a mole's voice. Selverous nodded.

"And my brother!" said a dragon.

"And what is the dragon's name?". But no answer was given. Selverous walked over to the crumpled building, as the whole crowd was wondering what the dragon's name was. He looked around, but when he came across a hole, a room was covered in ice. It kept the room intact. "You! The dragon who's daughter was saved. Are you an ice dragon?"

"No, no sir. I'm a fire dragon, but my mate is an earth dragon."

"Okay, what about the infant? Is she an ice dragon?"

"We, we don't know yet sir. She has yet to speak!."

"Dad!? What's going on?" A dragoness asked from behind. It was Ember.

"Ember! Thank the ancestors you're okay!" He hugged her.

"That really doesn't answer my question."

"A young brown dragon just saved your baby sister from a fire."

"A-a brown dragon?"

"Do you know of a brown ice dragon?"

"Ice Dragon? I know a brown earth dragon! Cute, muscular, dreamy…" she went into a daze.

"The one that's coming over for dinner tonight?" their father asked.

"Yeeaaah…" Ember said in a dreaming state.

"That's a start. Where does he live?". Ember's father had to snap her out of her trance. "Ember now is not the time."

"I'll show you," Ember said, high on ecstasy, and the whole crowd followed. Ember flew to the wall and knocked on the door. "Oh, cutie patootie! Open up!". But no answer. "Hello?"

"Maybe they're not home." Ember's father said.

"Step aside," Selverous said. He froze the door and slashed it open.

In the little room was a dragoness, and she was grabbing some herbs here and there around the small room. There lay a brown dragon on a bed behind her, who was clutching his side. Her head turned towards the door, and she froze. "Uh, … come in?" She said.


	10. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Selverous looked around the small room. It was empty of anything except a few scattered bandages and red healing gems. In front of him was a chalky black brown dragoness that he saw on the streets, and he saw a brown greenish dragon in the background. "Stand aside," Selverous stated.

Cynder grew a battle face. "No." She said firmly. Selverous was surprised that she said that, especially to him. Never had he been addressed like that. She set the supplies in her talons on the table and took a step towards Selverous. "You have the audacity to barge in here, and demand something from us." She said.

"I am a Guardian!" Selverous shouted.

"And this is a hero who desires privacy!" Cynder defended.

"Selverous? What's going on?" Volteer asked as he flew in.

"I'm just trying to greet this dragon, and they're acting suspicious!"

"By breaking and entering!" Cynder shouted.

"What-" Volteer was stopped.

"They disappear, just like that, after saving some dragons and moles from a fire. Where's the natural desire to be recognized!?"

"Well, it looks as if one of them is injured," Volteer stated, pointing to Spyro over on the bed. He started walking over there, thinking he saw a familiar face, but Cynder took a step in front of him. Another familiar face, yet different.

"Leave." She said.

"Guards! Arrest her!" Selverous shouted.

"No, Selverous! You fool!" Volteer stated. "You have no right!"

"He clearly needs some attention, and she needs to bring him to a medical center!" Selverous stated.

Volteer looked at the figure on the bed. He was getting up. Cynder looked back and hurried over. "Don't. You're hurt-"

Spyro put up his talon. "I must. Mmmf." He said, clenching his side. There was a large bruise on his side, but his scale color was still unrecognizable from the discoloring of the wound. It was purple, but luckily they wrote it off as a darker purple of a bruise, and not his actual scale color. He turned to the entrance. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Spyro asked.

"You-" Selverous started to say.

"Selverous, I think I should handle this," Volteer stated. Selverous backed down, grudgingly. "Young dragon, I heard you are acting, well, weird. Care to explain this behavior of yours?"

Spyro took a deep breath, and a face of pain was flashed across his face. It disappeared as soon as it came. "Why should I answer any questions to someone who decided to barge in here? I'd say that's 'weird' for a Guardian to behave." Spyro said. "Please show your way out."

"You look hurt. You need help-" Volteer started to say.

"I said LEAVE!" Spyro shouted, and the whole room shook to the anger in his voice. Volteer looked Spyro in the eyes. He noticed something familiar in them as well, but he couldn't figure it out, yet he knew that the blackish purple in his eyes wasn't the natural color that they were born as.

"Let's go," Volteer said.

"But-" Selverous started to say.

"I said let's go! He's right. We're not acting properly, so how are we to judge his actions when our own are out of line!?" They all backed out of the small room, and Spyro laid back down on the bed.

"Are you alright?" Cynder asked, going back to his side. Spyro smiled.

"Yeah, just, please grab those gems." he smiled.

"Oh! Yes, of course!" Cynder said.

"Cutie Pie! Are you alright!? Hello!?" Ember said at the door. Spyro used his earth ability and pulled up a wall, a thick earth wall that concealed their room from sight.

"Sorry, Ember! I'll have to meet your family another day!" Spyro said as the wall finished itself and concealed the whole room. Ember pouted as she left with her family. Spyro turned to Cynder. "Better?"

"Oh lots!" she said with a grin.

Spyro released the grip he had on his side and growled as Cynder put on some of the herbs. His side was badly bruised, and it was due to the crumbling house. Spyro was forced to use his ice breath, but that only happened after he had the two dragons with him, trying to leave the burning building, as a foundational pole fell and hit his side. The two dragons he was helping came back to try and help him, but Spyro broke the floor beneath them, and they fell. He used his ice to build a huge container that held them in safety. The dragons and moles were coughing up a storm and failed to realize Spyro's ice cavern. As the house collapsed, they emerged alive.

Cynder handed Spyro the red gems, to which started healing his side instantly. "Spyro, what were you thinking?" Cynder asked.

"I was trying to help." He said.

"I'm talking about going into a house on fire and trying to hide your identity all at the same time."

"Oh, that," Spyro said.

"Spyro, why don't we just, I don't know, tell them who we really are," Cynder asked, looking at his side in sadness.

"And throw away all the time I get to spend with you? No thanks. I'd rather spend an eternity in a cave with you than talk to, Severbones or whatever his name was again." Spyro said, chuckling. Cynder smiled.

"I don't know. Having a cat around is a lot of work." Cynder teased. Spyro smiled and shook his head.

"Well, if a cat is what you want, then I can be a cat. 'Meow meow'." He said, making them both laugh.

"Spyro! I'm being serious!" Cynder said, taking his talons in hers. "Why not. You won't be harmed, and, well, you'd be honored."

"*Sigh*... If we show the world I'm alive, that makes this place a target. The population is bound to increase again, just to see me and you. Crowds upon crowds of moles and dragons and wyverns just don't seem to be a very nice way to live. They would come from around the world, not even to meet me or you, but to see me. Just to get a glimpse of purple. Just to see if the "Terror of the Skies" is really gone in you. You and I would be worshiped, and I don't want that. We're not God. We will die, and we won't be perfect."

"I-" Cynder was cut off.

"If you want to show the world we're here, in Warfang, I will gladly stand by your side and be there."

"Always putting my interests above yours. Quintessence was right. Quite a bond we share."

"Yeah." the two smiled at each other for a little.

"*Yawn* I should, I should probably get some rest," Spyro said, getting up and heading for the downstairs trapdoor. Spyro closed his eyes as soon as he reached his rocky bed.

"Yeah." Cynder enjoyed these times, yet she wondered what he meant about losing these moments if they were to reveal themselves. "Spyro?" Cynder peeked her head down the trapdoor a little.

Spyro opened his eyes a little. "Yes?"

"Why would we lose our time together?"

"If we were to reveal ourselves?" Spyro finished her question.

"Yeah," Cynder stated. Spyro took a deep breath.

"Well, I'd have to marry, her majesty Apropia," Spyro said sarcastically, "and since we're important figures, that'll mean-"

"Responsibilities."

"Yeah. Some that only adult dragons should handle. After all, we're still kids."

"Huh. You're right. Well, goodnight Spyro." She retreated back to her bed. She looked around the ruptured room and saw his bag. She walked over and looked inside of it. She was about to reach it, but she realized that Spyro had his right to privacy, and she left it alone. She went back down to the "basement" floor and watched Spyro sleep.

"I can't believe you would do something like that Selverous," Terrador said.

"We need to keep a closer eye on them," Selverous said to himself.

Terrador didn't hear the exact wording but caught enough of it. "Excuse me!? Selverous, I've had it! You are not acting fit to be a Guardianite!" Terrador was in a rage.

"What? I said we need to repay them. Maybe a room closer to the center or Warfang. Plus, that room looked pretty cramped." Selverous said in an attempt to redeem his previous words.

"I doubt that's what you even said, but yes, we do need to repay them," Terrador said. They waited in the town hall for the others to arrive, and all the Guardians discussed this issue.

"Selverous did what!?" Cyril demanded.

"You need to enforce ground rules, Cyril," Terrador said.

"Oh, more than ground rules are being established!" Cyril shouted.

"I get it, but he meant well," Terrador stated.

"Well, splendid, terrific, what did he do? Accomplish? Complete?-" Volteer said, coming in late, but was interrupted

"He forced himself into another residence. That residence happened to be in the WYR room section." Cyril shouted.

"The Waiting for Your Residence Rooms? The…" Volteer said.

"Yes, Volteer! Those!" Cyril said.

"I know. I was there." Volteer said, snickering a little. "Come on, an old dragon needs a little fun in his life." Terrador rolled his eyes.

"Oh, Selverous is going to apologize!" Cyril shouted.

"Yes, by delivering this." Terrador showed a bag and tossed it on the table. Volteer reached for the bag and pulled out a key to a residence, and a letter.

" *Reading to himself * Terrador, this is a mighty big room. And so close to the town hall. And these dragons, we have no information on them besides that one saved a few from fire and where they live. And not to mention the size of this room! Especially for one dragon. Very young dragon at that too! Say where are his parents? His Guardians?" Cyril said.

"Two dragons. One dragoness as well. But I agree with Cyril. This is a mighty big room for a couple of children."

"Yes, children who saved some from a fire. Besides, now we can keep a closer eye on them." Selverous said as walked in.

"Boy, I'll have a word with you later!" Cyril said.

"Yes, sir. May I speak?"

"Fine," Cyril said.

"This guy is an earth Dragon, or so our sources say. But…" Selverous was interrupted.

"I don't care! That does not give an excuse for your actions!" Cyril shouted.

"Just hear me out!" Selverous shouted back. "I know I did wrong, but there was an ice room in the collapsed building, and no other ice dragon lived around the area."

"You're the point?" Terrador asked.

"My point is that I think this dragon knows more than just the earth element."

"Well, our sources could be wrong. Did the victims of the fire tell you he was an ice dragon?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Then I highly doubt he knows more than one element. Besides, it's so rare for a dragon to have two elements, especially if they've mastered them at their age.


	11. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

*Knock knock knock*.

Spyro opened his eyes.

*Knock knock knock*.

He looked around, and saw Cynder next to the bed, asleep on the ground. The wave of guilt that bombarded him, but he wondered what all the noise was.

*Knock knock knock*

Spyro dragged himself out of the bed and went to the door, careful not to wake Cynder if she hadn't already done so. He carved a small window into the wall, "One second please." He said, in nearly a whisper. He closed the hole, and walked over to Cynder, still half asleep himself. He picked her up a little and used his earth ability to help put her on the bed, gently. Cynder was touched by this. She too was awoken by the knocking, yet she remained in her position. Spyro walked back to the wall and opened a hole again. But this time, he realized who it truly was.

"Hi, Muck," Selverous said.

Spyro looked behind him. Nothing. "What are you doing here? At this hour?"

"I came by to drop something off. I'm sorry for, what happened. Hope this makes us, on good terms.". Selverous said as he dropped the bag and flew off. Spyro picked the bag up and was ready for anything. A bomb, maybe, or a prank. But he pulled out a letter and a residence number. Spyro opened the letter, and it was by Terrador's hand.

 _Muck, or so that is what we've been told,_

 _I apologize if that isn't your name, but anyway, I wish to apologize, along with everyone here in the upper city who have intruded on you. Selverous brings you this as his apology. It was wrongdoing, and we hope this makes up for it, and thanks for helping those fellow citizens. We are to hold a ceremony to celebrate what you did in two days time. You shall receive an award and a few other things. During the Day of Dawn celebration, we Guardians would like to personally invite you to join our courts._

 _Terrador, The Fellow Guardians, and the pupils_

Spyro looked at the residence assignment. He knew this had to be a large room because it seemed to be right next to the town hall. He also looked in the bag and found his citizenship record, stating that he was now a citizen of Warfang. Spyro pulled the bag inside and closed the hole in the wall.

"Find anything?" Cynder said to make Spyro jump. It was effective. She started laughing. Spyro started laughing out of embarrassment.

"I did," Spyro said, as he rebalanced himself, "but it's nothing good." Cynder pulled out the residence number and the citizenship record.

"What are you talking about!? This is wonderful!"

Spyro shook his head. "You didn't even get anything."

"Oh, well that's okay. You deserve this!"

"But aren't we leaving after the celebration? Why do we need a room like that?"

Cynder put the stuff back into the bag. "I don't know, Spyro. Here, I have friends and you, and maybe staying here won't be such a terrible thing."

"I just, I just have a bad feeling about this," Spyro said.

"How come?"

"I just, I just think that this is all a way to keep an eye on me," Spyro said. "Heck, Selverous delivered this with a twinkle in his eye," Spyro said.

"Slithery who now?"

"Selverous, the one who barged in earlier today."

"Oh…" she looked concerned.

"They just want to keep an eye on me," Spyro said. "Here." Spyro pulled the citizenship record from the bag and torched it. It burned up in flames, and the ashes fell to the ground.

"What did you do that for!?" Cynder said.

"Well, stay or not, I rather remain as far away as possible from them."

"Okay then." She said, sad that Spyro doesn't feel at home here. "Shouldn't we at least go see the room?"

"Maybe we could give it to one of your friends. Quintessence, Ember-" Spyro was interrupted.

"Oh, right. Miss 'oh, hug me Spyro! Take me into the sunset for the rest of time. Kiss me day and night! *Kissing imitation*'."

Spyro started laughing. "Yeah. Maybe having them scout it out wouldn't be best." Spyro said. Then a thought came to mind. "Speaking of, uh, relations…"

"What's up?"

"Maybe, I don't know, you wanna go to the festival?"

"But we're already going-" Cynder paused. She felt a wave of embarrassment drowning her. "You didn't happen to overhear me-" But she was interrupted by Spyro nodding and chuckling. "Oh, how embarrassing!" Cynder said. Spyro was laughing now. Cynder turned her head away. "I can't believe this."

Once he had control over himself, "Soooo…" Spyro said.

"Yes! Yes of course!" Cynder said.

"Awesome!" Spyro said.

"Awesome," Cynder said. Yet Cynder was curious when Spyro rushed to get his bag behind her. Cynder was giggling. "What's all the fuss about?". Then Spyro reached into the bag, and pulled out a golden necklace, and to bracelets "Spyro-". He pulled out a candle and lit the wick. In the twilight, the necklace and bracelets could be seen.

"It was nothing," Spyro said, scratching the back of his head. "Wish I smelled better." He said, chuckling.

Cynder rolled her eyes. "How long have you been wanting to ask me?" She took each bracelet and put one on each wrist, and then Spyro reached behind her, putting on the necklace. each was a perfect fit.

"For quite a while now. How do you like them?"

"Spyro, I love them!" Cynder said.

"I know," Spyro said, cockily.

Cynder looked at herself and was curious. They never brought up Malefor or what happened during the battle. So she wondered if he remembered her confession. She hoped he did. "Spyro?"

"Yes?" Spyro said, admitting her.

"Do you, do you remember the fight with Malefor?"

"Umm, nope. Sorry." Cynder slapped him playfully.

"I'm being serious! Do you?"

Spyro opened his maw, but there was knocking at the wall again. Cynder sighed. Spyro walked over to the wall, and forged a door, and opened it. It was Ember, and Quintessence was behind her.

"Ladies! What are you doing up so early!?" She said.

"Come on come on!" Ember said. Dragging her out of the room, revealing the jewelry Cynder had on. "*Gasp* Look at you! You're gorgeous!" Ember said. Quintessence recognized the jewelry.

"Oh, thanks. Where are we- Whoa!" She was yanked and they wandered off. Spyro watched and chuckled. But Flame arrived at the door as Spyro was closing it.

"Muck!" He said. Spyro reopened the door. "Can we talk?"

"Yeah, sure." Flame walked in. Spyro grew a worried expression. "What did you want to talk about?" Spyro asked.

"Something fishy is going on here, Muck.". Spyro calmed himself after that remark.

"Fishy?" He asked. "It's probably me, I've had fish for dinner for quite some time now." He said, trying to make a joke out of it.

"You don't get it." Flame said. "This is not a joke!" Flame said.

"Alright alright. I can be serious. What's up?"

"First of all, I'm, I'm, s-sorry for how I acted when we met."

"Oh, that's fine," he paused. "That looked hard."

"Yeah. I'm not very good with apologies."

"Anything else-"

"Yes! The whole thing with saving those dragons in the fire. There was a room of ice, and all the dragons in the area were either fire or earth dragons. You don't happen to know two elements?"

"Okay-"

"I think you do, Muck. And so does everyone else." Flame said.

"Flame. How can a dragon know two elements?"

"It's very rare! But some accomplish it! Muck, I'm trying to help! Do you know two elements or not? Ice and earth? Or am I going mad!? Or was there someone else in there? We've already questioned everyone there, and no ice dragon was there to their knowledge."

"Flame, I'm no ice dragon-"

"Don't lie to me!"

"Okay okay. What's the fuss?" Cynder asked.

"Well, we're going around and asking out dates to the celebration!" Quintessence shouted.

"Is there dancing or something there requiring a partner?" Cynder asked in a hurry.

"I think! There is dancing, and maybe some other events." Ember said. "My family is hosting a rally in the Colosseum. It's going to have a competition to see who is the best fighter in Warfang. Not to the death, of course."

Cynder's maw dropped in curiosity. "Ooh, I'm intrigued," Cynder said.

"Yeah! We're also bringing our dates to watch!"

"Okay, so who are you two asking?" Cynder asked.

"Well, Ember said she'd introduce me to a friend of hers from Megolishion City who just arrived. What about you!? Maybe you'll get _him_!" she said, winking at Cynder.

"I'm gonna try Muck. So strong, so handsome, so-"

"Ember?"

"Hmm?"

"Muck is, well... already taken," Cynder said.


	12. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Flame stared at Spyro dead in the eyes. Spyro thought of a way to get out of this but was saved in the nick of time.

"Flame! Your presence is requested immediately!" A dragon said, flying into the room.

"Not now!" Flame said.

"Sir! It's urgent." The Flame took his gaze off the guard and glared at Spyro.

"This is not over." Flame said, pointing at Spyro.

Spyro watched them fly off, and then closed the door. He turned and faced the small room. "How am I gonna get out one?"

"Why is my attention needed so immediately?" Flame asked the messenger. "I was busy!"

"Sorry sir, but you are needed to help make final preparations for the celebration!"

"Of course." Flame said rolling his eyes. Once they arrived, Flame was greeted at the doors of the town hall.

"Ah, Flame. We've got a special task for you." Selverous said.

"What?"

"We want you to choose the contestants for the tournament fights, and the victor gets to challenge you," Selverous said in an icy breath.

"And why is that my responsibility?"

"Because you have the most skill here to pick contestants. You are the best in combat."

"Can I choose someone to fight?"

"Umm, it's a competition, Flame."

"I know that! But as a bonus, I want to fight someone for, I don't know, maybe free food for a lifetime? I don't want it to be in the actual competition."

"As a bonus, huh?"

"But I want to choose the contestant."

"Alright, tell me more," Selverous stated, turning and giving Flame his full attention.

"Already taken!? What do you mean already taken!?" Ember was quiet after that.

"Look, Ember, maybe you could ask someone else. Maybe he'll be better than Muck!"

"He missed dinner, and now he's taken," she said.

"No, I'm mean, yeah, but that's not your fault. You're kind, sweet, outgoing. Guys should be head over talon for you." Cynder said.

"But Muck is different. He, he just is. I don't know what it is about him, maybe the gentle way he caught me, but I just feel… wait! You're courting Muck!?" Ember realized. Quintessence jerked your head back and gasped as Cynder looked to the side and blushed.

"Well no, I mean yes! I, uh-" she was in deep embarrassment.

"Midnight! When were you going to tell us!?" Quintessence said.

"I don't know. He just asked before you girls came," she confessed.

"But, but-but, but-but-" Ember said. "He asked you?"

"Yeah. He gave me this jewelry for tomorrow." Cynder said, holding up her talon and showing the two dragonesses the perfect looking jewelry.

"I knew it!" Quintessence said.

"What?" Ember said.

"Well, before we got here, I found him making this, but I didn't know why. Of course, now I do!"

Midnight turned the street and ran into a dragon. "Sorry!" She says quickly.

"No, I'm sorry. Uh, may I?" He recentered her necklace that had been knocked. "I'm Selverous."

"I'm Midnight. We've met."

"That's a pretty name. I mean, uh…" Selverous looked to the side.

"Thanks," Cynder said.

"That must be worth a fortune," he said, referencing the necklace.

"Guardianite Selverous?" Ember said, Quintessence also turned around.

"Yes, ma'am. I was just coming back from, uh…"

"Muck's stay." Midnight said.

"Yeeaaah…" he said, lying. He left Flame and spotted a beautiful dragoness in the alley, and he wanted to meet her. He started giving Cynder a glare of interest. "Besides, what are you wearing?"

"Some jewelry my friend gave me for the celebration," Cynder said. "Do you like it?" Cynder instantly regretted asking the question. It was a bold move.

"Yes." Selverous delicately took Cynder's talons and looked at the bracelets. "Oh, but that looks like it was handcrafted. Do you mind?" Selverous said in a slow, mischievous voice.

"No. Here." Cynder took a bracelet and handed it to him.

"This is handcrafted. Pure gold outlining with a framework of silver, with the rarest diamonds, heck, I don't even know what kind of diamond this is embedded in here. Do you know how much this could be worth?" He asked handing it back to Cynder.

"Uh, no. But her friend did hand make it. He didn't steal it if that's what you're speculating." Quintessence butted in. "I saw him make those diamonds myself.". Cynder looked at Quintessence in curiosity.

"Hmm, interesting." His voice was sharp and icy. "Well, I would love to see you at the celebration, if you would like to attend it with me," Selverous said, taking Midnight's front talon, and kissed it. "You look stunning, and I feel like I can offer you more than fancy jewelry."

"Oh, umm, I'm already taken, thanks. Jewelry, gifts, ya know." She said.

"Yeah by Muck," Ember said, pouting.

"That dragon?" Selverous said as Cynder retracted her talons from his grasp.

"Yeah," Cynder said hesitantly.

"Well, you two have fun. You deserve better than a dragon who can only offer gifts, you know." He flew off towards the town hall.

"Some encounter that was. Guardians and Guardianites don't show their faces often." Quintessence said.

"Maybe he's right. A dragon who can only offer gifts isn't really worth it." Ember said to make herself feel better.

"If only you knew," Cynder mumbled to herself.

"Selverous! Did he accept?" Cyril

"He's thinking about it."

"Well, Flame here has a proposition for the very same dragon."

"And what is that?" Selverous asked, listening as if it was the first time he heard the proposition.

"Flame is gonna fight him for an unlimited, lifetime, endless supply of produce!" Volteer said.

"Forget that. That dragon has handcrafted a priceless piece of jewelry."

"What?" Volteer asked. Cyril and Terrador were skeptical.

"A handcrafted, pure gold necklace with two matching bracelets, with a purple, black bluish diamond implanted in the necklace and three red blue diamonds in the bracelets. A near priceless artifact."

"How did he afford that?" Cyril asked.

"I don't know. Something isn't right. I say we call him in for questioning! Maybe jail him."

"You think he stole it?" Terrador asked.

"You should know that no dragon should be able to afford that, let alone craft it. You couldn't do that as a Guardian, a master of the earth element.". Terrador pondered for a little.

"But what if he did craft it?" Volteer questioned, searching for a reason.

"Yes, we must keep that as a possibility. But we must have a watchful eye on this dragon." Terrador stated.

"Let the Colosseum tournament commence as planned, but if he beats Flame, I guess we could question him," Cyril said. "I don't know if a dragon could even match your skill Flame. Don't go easy on him."

"Alright."


	13. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Today was the day! Day of Dawn! "Spyro! Spyro! Wake up!" Cynder was shaking him awake.

"What what?" He said half asleep. The previous night had been full of affairs, and they didn't get to sleep that long.

"It's Day of Dawn! It's Day of Dawn!" Cynder was shouting. Spyro had never seen Cynder with so much childish cheer.

"You're like a child on Christmas morning," Spyro said, chuckling.

"I'm just excited!" She shouted. "Come on come on! Let's go!"

"Okay okay! I'm coming. Let me get my Muck face on." He said jokingly. He threw dirt on him, but was yanked from the house and his underground room as soon as he said, "Alright- Waaah!"

They walked out of their housing and were met with crowded streets with shops and concession stands everywhere. Moving closer into Warfang, the two were amazed. The whole city was crowded, even at this time when the sun had barely started to wake up the world. There were streamers along the rooftops which little candle lanterns hung, and there were little sparklers here and there, but what surprised Spyro the most was there was a group of kids over playing out what happened with his battle against Malefor. "Hello!" Quintessence and Ember showed, and Cynder started chatting with them.

Spyro, on the other hand, turned his attention towards the dragonets. He didn't see Cynder in their little play, so he decided to walk over. "Ya know, I remember Cynder being a hero in this story too," he said, interrupting their play.

"Hello, mister! Wanna play!?" the young dragoness said.

"Sure little one," He said. "what role am I?"

"I call Spyro!" the older brother said.

"But you were Spyro last week!" the younger one said.

"Nuh-uh! You were!" The oldest argued.

"It's my turn!" the youngest shouted.

"No! It's your turn to be Malefor!"

"No, it's not!". The three siblings argued. Spyro rolled his eyes.

"Here. I'll be Malefor, while you three can be Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx."

"Cynder? I thought she disappeared after Spyro saved her."

Spyro rolled his eyes. "You know, let me just tell you what happened. Wanna hear their story?"

"Yeah!" the younger brother said.

"I guess-" the older brother stated.

"Sure mister." the sister exclaimed.

"Okay, so…" Spyro started off.

"So you're up and out early." Quintessence said to Cynder. "Midnight?". Cynder was watching Spyro interact with the dragonets. Their joyful faces and Spyro imitating some of the battles, jumping around a little bit.

"Okay!" He said enthusiastically. They continued their story through the well of souls, or also known as Mount Malefor. They told of how Spyro crossed the sky for Cynder, and that they were trapped in a crystal for three years.

"But how?" one of the dragonets asked.

"See, purple dragons have many abilities, and some cannot be explained, but for three years, they were trapped," Cynder said.

"I've always been told that they went to train for three years-"

"Or that Sparx held up the mountain!" Another said.

"Heck yeah, I did!" Sparx came flying in, previously listening to their story. "I'm surprised how much you two know, seeing as you're newcomers."

"We've heard a lot," Spyro said quickly. Sparx hesitated. His voice sounded familiar.

"Do I know you?" Sparx said.

"No, uh, maybe," Spyro said, forcing a deeper, hoarse voice. Cynder was looking for a way out of this. She quickly rallied the kids and told them a quick plan.

"Let's see how mighty Sparx is. On my command, dogpile him."

"Okay!" The dragonets said in unison.

"Get him!" Cynder said.

"What?" Sparx said. "Ahhh!" The dragonets chased him.

"What did you tell them?" Spyro asked, amused.

"I said the mighty Sparx couldn't even take on a bunch of dragonets and told them to prove it. Then they went chasing after him."

"Looks like storytime has been interrupted," Spyro said.

"Aw, what a shame. We haven't heard it before! Oh, wait, we were there, making the story." chuckles from both dragons filled the atmosphere. A slight pause and Cynder looked at the outer city where the Colosseum stood. "Hey! The Colosseum is open tonight! We should go!" Cynder said, realizing that it was now midday.

"Let's go later. I first heard there were free food and dancing." Spyro said. Cynder got nervous about the dancing. She never learned how to, and the fact that this was technically a date made those nerves worse. They flew towards the center of the town. There were a few dances going on in neighborhoods below, and Spyro stopped at one.

"Muck!? Midnight!? Hey! Come join us!" Quintessence shouted. Spyro flew down. Chip was rocking it out with his friends, busting a move like no one else. It looked like it was very good fun.

"So, uh, how do we dance?" Cynder asked.

"Well, the only dancing I did was with my mom," Spyro confessed. "And you know, not a dragonfly, not really dancing. So, I don't really know."

"We'll figure it out." She said, dragging him to the dance floor, losing all nervousness. She started to move and shaking back and forth. Spyro tried to mirror her movements.

"It would be easier with music," Spyro stated.

"Music?" Cynder asked.

"Yeah. Let me show you." He said, flying to an open spot, and creating earth instruments, from memory, and used some long grass as the strings, and weaved them together. When he was out working during the past week to get the fish, something called a band showed up to the town, and he learned how each played a different sound, to a certain pitch, that is. They were from a far place, it seemed. He enchanted the instruments to start playing a tune. It was quick and merry sound, and Spyro actually started playing the instruments. He watched Cynder trying to follow along and dance to the beat. Everyone in the area heard the instruments and came rushing to the noise. When they spotted the instruments next to Muck and Midnight, they stared and then started to join in, listening to the music they've never heard. Moles from the area came in, and Spyro stepped aside and taught each a little of each instrument. They started playing the instruments themselves. Being the brainiacs they were, they mastered the instrument in less than a day. Spyro could now just focus on his dancing, and he and Cynder had a wonderful time. Eventually, the whole street was packed with moles and dragons trying to see what that sound was, and it became harder to see what the fuss was about because now the dance floor took to the air. Spyro had watched his parents dance. He tried to mimic their movements from memory with Cynder, holding her talons and twirling her here and there. He was a lot more graceful in the air. Everyone around Spyro and Cynder was imitating them.

Cynder hovered back down to the ground. "What's wrong!?" Spyro asked following her. Cynder looked at him, and he held out his talons. "Come on! Let's dance!". She took his talons in hers, and Spyro spun her around.

"Wooo!" She said, smiling, laughing. They took talons, and started spinning in the air, twirling here and there, Cynder being tossed further up into the air, and caught by Spyro every time she came back down, and then thrown into another spin to help her get stability in the air, They finished as the music ended as well. Then a slower beat came on and slow dancing started.

"Are you having fun?" Spyro asked.

Cynder looked at him. "The most I've ever had."

"Attention! Attention everyone!" The dancing settled, and those in the air came to the ground. "We are here to announce the chosen contestants for the Coliseum tonight." There was whispering among the crowd. "Tonight! Thirty-two contestants will fight for the grand prize of a thousand treasure, or, also known and more adored as, one thousand gold pieces. The names…"

"Spyro?" Cynder asked. He was in a trace. She waved her talons in front of his face.

He saw the talons waving in front of him.

"Hello? Anyone there? Hello?" She kept saying. Spyro shook his head. "You okay?"

"I, I don't-"

"Excuse me! Young dragon! Yes, you brown one in the crowd! Stop talking!" The dragon guard said. "State your name."

"Uh, Muck. I'm Muck.". The guard froze for a second. He looked at his scroll.

"Well, uh, Muck, you have a special acceptance letter."

"What acceptance letter?"

"Well, you're the bonus Challenger. You have been chosen to be at a special challenge against a dragon in the tournament, and if you win, you get the gold and a lifetime supply of free food."


	14. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

There was a large crowd. The crowd was in Megolishion City, and everyone gathered on the palace stairs. This was his first appearance here, and he was beaten, and bruised, and exhausted. He was chained up in the air twenty feet, and he had a necklace that prevented him from using his earthen element.

"My fellow citizens!" Queen Jade stated to quiet everyone down. Everyone turned to the stake. Spyro was tied up twenty feet in the air, where everyone could see him. "Today, I present a dragon who not only seems our standards as wrong but won't tell us a very important secret he holds. Dragons and Dragonesses, Moles, Wyverns, and all creatures, today, we are here to make an example of the following Dragon for his unjust, undefinable, and wicked acts upon you and your homes." Jade said. She looked at Selverous.

Selverous spoke with an icy sharpness in his voice, "This dragon has started fires to make himself a hero! He has endured a fight against Knight Flame, lying about his service in the war on the front lines! He has dishonored those who truly served and died for your lives today! He has destroyed this community! He has disrespected the Guardians, the Guardianites, and Spyro himself, claiming that we should forget him, and move on. He has taken the Guardian's kind gestures and burned them to the ground. And finally, he has falsely wooed a dragoness by the name of Midnight to stay with him and to cast aside a brighter future with me, Guardianite Selverous. He has brainwashed her, and disrespected her family! Worst of all, he knows of your King's whereabouts, but would rather keep the information himself, leaving the throne of your kingdom vulnerable. He is the definition of a criminal, and his fate will be decided today!"

 **Two Days Ago**

"What do you mean he declined!?" Selverous shouted.

"He says that he d-didn't want it, sire."

"But we just gave him the chance of a lifetime! Are you sure it was the right Muck!?"

"Uh, brown, very young, a wired purple color to the eyes-"

"Darn it!" Selverous said, flipping the table. He calmed himself after a minute. "Well, it is good. Very good."

"What sire?"

"He is hiding something, I just know it. He's good at it too."

"What could he be hiding, sire?"

"That's the problem. This was supposed to help us find out what he was hiding."

"Umm, what do you plan to do?... Sire."

"I know exactly what I'm going to do."

"You just denied it!? Just like that!? 'Hey, yeah, no I don't want to do that, thanks though' sort of thing?" Ember said.

"Yeah." Muck said.

"Aw, so noble," Ember said, falling into a trance.

"Ember, *sigh* Ember! He's with someone else! Remember?" Quintessence said, snapping her out of it. Spyro raised a confused look on his face.

"So are we going to watch the tournament!?" Cynder asked. Spyro was hesitant. He had a bad feeling about this but wanted Cynder to have a wonderful day.

"Of course we are. Let's go get some decent seats." They all flew towards the Colosseum. It was a massive construction masterpiece, something that could hold the whole population of Warfang if you squeezed everyone in there. It was surprisingly far from the walls, though. Yet it's most impressive feat was the fact that it was constructed to retract into the ground afterward to give a better view of any foreign attacks. Its walls were ten feet thick, and that was just the outer wall. The inner walls were nearly twice as thick to support the building with that mechanism underneath to retract it, and the whole stadium was made of stone. The entrance was guarded, of course. They landed and stood in line at the entrance.

"Cynder?" Spyro asked.

"What's up?"

"We need to let our friends first."

"Okay, but why are you telling me that like there's a second part?"

"I had a vision when you were snapping me out of my trance. They are requiring me to fight."

"Even after you said no?"

"Yeah, so I've got to come up with another name. You lead them to some seats, and I'll catch up."

"Okay… I hope you know what you're doing."

"Me too."

They arrived at the front of the line, Spyro letting a few passes in front of him in the line to buy time. Cynder and the group walked in, and she looked back with a worried revision expression.

"Next!" the security said.

"Hello," Spyro stated.

"We got him!" a soldier shouted from above.

"What? Aaah!" Spyro said, being knocked over the head with a rock, knocking him out.

"Hey, Midnight? Where is Muck?" Ember asked.

"Yeah, what was he doing again?" Quintessence asked.

"He's, uh,". The announcer cut her off, "I'm getting worried." She said to herself. A guard came by their seats.

"Are you two ladies…" he opened a scroll, "Midnight from the small town and Quintessence of Megolishion City?"

"Uh, yeah!" Ember said cheerfully.

"Come with me please."

"Uh, can Ember come?" Quintessence asked the guard.

"Um, I don't know. Are you two related?" The guard asked.

"Not quite, but she did help me get housing in Warfang and helped me find a decent job." Quintessence said.

"Alright then. I guess she can come." The guard took them up to a better view of the arena, and a special balcony decorated with the signature flags of Megolishion City.

"Hello there. Flame insisted." Aropia stated as she stepped out from behind them.

"Aropia!" Ember said, bowing. "It is an honor!"

"Princess." Quintessence said, bowing. Cynder watched her friends and tried to mimic their formality.

"Hm. A little out of line. Understandable. We did find you out in the middle of nowhere." Aropia said to Cynder. Cynder just kept her mouth shut, and focused her thoughts on Spyro. She was very concerned about his whereabouts. They took their seats, with Cynder being separated from Aropia by Quintessence and then Ember. Ember sat next to Princess Aropia and they seemed to get along very well.

"Dragons and dragonesses, moles and creatures of all, welcome to the Day of Dawn Competition! We have hand-selected each contestant, and the victor goes home with one thousand gold pieces!". The crowd cheered.

"Hello, so we meet again," Selverous said, sitting down next to Cynder. "Man, you look marvelous today," he stated, taking her talons and kissing it.

"Uh, thanks," Cynder said, pulling her talon away from Selverous.

"Here, I wanted to give you something," Selverous stated. He handed Cynder an ancient relic. It wasn't quite stone, but it was almost in the shape of a key if you would. It could be gold, or copper, or silver. It depended on what the lighting was, which was peculiar.

"What is it?"

"It's quite interesting. You see, no one knows except its creator." Selverous said.

"So what am I supposed to do with this?" Cynder asked, trying to give it back.

"No no, just take it," Selverous said.

"Why do I feel like there are repercussions to taking this?" Cynder asked.

"Eh, just a little present. Something only mates would do for each other." Selverous said.

"I told you no," she said, tossing the item back at him. He watched as it hit the ground.

"But, forgive me, I don't see any other male around trying for your talon in marriage."

"Marriage!?" Cynder said out of shock. "I will definitely decline on that offer, thank you very much!" Quintessence looked over and rolled her eyes.

"You know how many would kill someone for your position right now?" Selverous said, looking around the area where a few females were in jaw dropped expressions that Midnight was heart set on declining his proposal.

"I would kill someone to get out of this, this thing you're doing." She said firmly. Quintessence squeezed between them to help Cynder.

"Oops, sorry." She said, bumping into a few dragons. "Sorry again!"

"Excuse me! I was talking to her." Selverous said to Quintessence.

"Hey, Selverous! Back off." She said.

"You dare talk to me like that?"

"Yeah! This is personal!"

"You do realize we Guardianites choose our mates, right? Along with the fact that we decide before the lower males get a shot."

"And how would everyone think of you bringing someone you don't even know to be your mate?"

"They'd adore it."

"That's a crappy system," Cynder stated under her breath.

"Yeah, but the girl gets a choice to, and it looks more like lust than love for my girl Midnight over here."

"Like that other male is better for her and her future. I could give her a life of riches, of anything she wants. How is that not love?"

"It, it's just not. Do you want to know what love is?"

"Really? I love her with all I've got. I can give her anything and help get accomplish everything."

"Love is nothing like that! You know, you keep saying that Muck is a worthless waste of time for Midnight. At least her friend actually looks on her with love. With care. With the heartache that he can't do more for her. He loves her, so back off!" Selverous snorted and stayed silent throughout most of the competition.

"Thanks, Quintessence," Cynder said.

"Hey, you would do the same for me, Right? Rrrrriiiigggghhhht?"

"Of course."

"Say, speaking of your boyfriend, where is he?"

"He's not-"

"Not yet! You are on a date with him. Right? Rrrrriiiigggghhhht?"

Cynder rolled her eyes and giggled. She started replaying the recent conversation over in her head. "You said that he looks upon me with love. Did you mean it?"

"Of course I did! The first time I saw you, he always looked upon you with love, compassion, and, well, I don't know how else to describe it."

Cynder opened her maw, but the announcer cut her off.

"Creatures of all! Your victor, and heading to the semifinals, Tempest!". The crowd cheered, and Selverous grew a sinister grin on his face. Cynder looked over at him and got very worried. She turned back to the announcer. "Alright, alright, settle down now. Boy, do we have a treat for you. Some of you know of this upcoming bonus round. Some don't. But here are our contestants! He's mean, he's the personal Royal Guard to Princess Aropia herself, Knight Flame!".

"Hey! I didn't know he was in the competition." Quintessence said.

"Wait, bonus round? No no no no no no!" Cynder said.

"Is everything alright?" Quintessence asked.

"And our other contender,"

"Please God no!" Cynder said to herself, hoping that what she was fearing wasn't reality.

"A dragon from nowhere, and who was chosen for a chance of a lifetime, Muck!" And all eyes fixed on him.

"Oh. Uh, I thought he declined." Quintessence said.

"He did!" Cynder said. "This is a forced fight!"

Spyro was on the ground, head pounding, and started to get up. "Nuh." His wings were bound by a leather strap, immobilizing him from the flight. He was seeing double and found himself on a trolly. When he finally got up, he saw the crowd. "Crap." He said, remembering what happened. He looked across the arena and saw double, but Flame was distinguishable.

"Flame?" The crowd was silent in anticipation and heard Spyro's weak cries. "Flame?"

"Let's fight!" Flame said, charging at Muck, but Muck wasn't ready for any fight. The next thing he knew, he was in a wall of the Colosseum.

"AAAAAAAAY!" The crowd shouted.

"Get up and fight!" Flame said, adrenaline pumping, striking a battle pose.

Spyro struggled to get up. Bam. He was attacked by Flame's tail, and he hit another wall. "Come on, I think you have a little more than that in you." Flame said.

"I don't want to fight," Spyro said, faintly, still seeing double.

"What?" Flame said.

Spyro mustered up all his energy. "I said I don't want to fight!" his voice echoed throughout the arena.

"Boooooo!" The crowd responded.

Spyro lay on the ground and didn't move, trying to recover some strength. "You're pathetic." Flame said, coming closer.

"I surrender. You win." He said, coughing a little bit.

"Fight!" Flame said.

"I'm sick of fighting, Flame," Spyro said, facing his head to the dirt. Flame got mad.

"If you won't fight, I'll have to beat it out of you." Flame kept true to his word, and launched fire blast at blast against Spyro, and kept picking him up and launching him into a wall. But Spyro refused to fight.

"Just fight him!" Cynder said to herself. "Just put on a show! Come on Spyro don't do this." Cynder was sobbing and mumbling to herself, and the crowd chanting "boo" made it hard to hear, but Quintessence heard her clearly.

"Midnight? Uh, could you come with me for a second?" Midnight looked at her, then at Muck, who was just thrown into another wall. Selverous was smiling, amused at what was going down in the arena below.

"Yeah." They walked away, and behind a column out of sight and to a spot where they couldn't be heard.

"Don't be too long hun," Selverous said to Midnight. Cynder wanted to very badly beat Selverous to a pulp on that battlefield. But she resisted, chasing after Quintessence.

"Um, is that Spyro down there!?" Quintessence quickly said as she stood before her friend.

"Oh no, no of course not," Cynder said, trying to cover up.

"I heard you, and you were pretty set on Spyro."

"He's not Spyro!"

"Midnight! I need the truth. What are you hiding? What is Muck hiding? Is he, the purple dragon?"

Cynder could only shake her head, trying to speak, but hearing the cracking of a wall Spyro was thrown into shattered her voice.

"Midnight!? Can you look at me, and tell me that you're not hiding anything from me? Your friend."

"Darn it Muck! Fight!" Flame said, throwing him into another wall. Spyro slowly got up again. The adrenaline helped him see straight again, but that only helped his vision. He ached everywhere else.

"I told you, I don't want to fight anymore," Spyro said. He snapped the leather bonding around his wings, and stretched his wings to full length, relieving some pain. He was breathing heavily.

"What do you even mean by that!? From the looks of it, you've never even been in a fight!" Flame said from halfway across the arena.

"I've fought. I fought on the front lines for years. I fought alongside my partner, I I fought against Malefor and his armies. I lost contact with my parents. I nearly lost my brother. I've suffered more than what anyone has in that war." Spyro said, getting up as Flame towered over him.

"I believe many more have suffered more than that." Flame said.

"All I wanted was for the rest of my life to be absent from fighting against those innocent lives, to fight the evil that corrupts the actions of others and affects their personal lives. But once again, I'm here, forced to fight, and it's against sometimes who isn't evil. I've been forced to fight for my entire life. Bullied when I was younger because I was different, fighting a war for five years since I was twelve because I had to, and now forced to fight you, a dragon who's confused, and lost, and doesn't know better."

"I'll show you what I know." Flame said, throwing his tail at Spyro again, forcing him into another wall.

Cynder could do nothing but sob, and nod.

"So you're Cynder? And that's Spyro down there!?" Quintessence asked. Cynder had her head buried in her talons, nodding and sobbing. "Why are you hiding!? The world was waiting for you two!" Quintessence said, trying to comfort her.

Cynder shook her head. "We didn't want to come back to the world." another impact with the wall was heard below.

"Well, why didn't you at least tell me?" Quintessence asked, feeling a little hurt.

"Because you were my first friend, aside from Spyro. And I couldn't lose a friend. I go every single day remembering what I did under Malefor's control. I-I just couldn't lose any friends. I don't think I'll ever make another one." she said, and started sobbing again.

Quintessence walked over to her and gave her a hug. "I forgive you for what you did, even if it wasn't you. You will never lose me as your friend. Okay?" Cynder started nodding and smiling. She participated in the hug. "Now, is there anything else that you should tell me?"

The crushing of a wall was heard in the background with the crowd's loud cheering following after.

"We have to stop that fight," Cynder said.


	15. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"He needs medical attention!" Cynder shouted at Flame. She looked at Spyro, who was now in her embrace.

"Yeah, because he's not fighting! Fight!" Flame said.

"Cynder," Spyro couldn't finish before going on conscious.

"I need gems! Red gems! Help!" Cynder shouted. Some of the audience started getting up to help her.

"Now now everyone. Settle down." Selverous said to the quiet crowd. "It's his own fault he didn't fight." He accused.

"You forced his will! How dare you!?" Cynder shouted. "He openly declined earlier today!"

"I don't recall any such thing," Selverous said.

A pause.

"I do," Quintessence said.

"Yeah yeah! He was in the neighborhood! He did say no!" Another said in the audience.

"Yeah! I was there too!"

"Me too!" The whole crowd started getting riled up. Quintessence took one look at Spyro and flew off.

"Settle down now," Selverous said to no avail, "I said settle down NOW!" Selverous shouted. The crowd died down. "Look, sorry I didn't get that message. But still, why won't he even throw a punch? Personally, I think he's hiding something. He is not standing by a noble dragon's standard."

"Like you! And how you won't take no for an answer. Can't take a no to me denying your proposal for marriage, and you cannot allow a dragon just stand by his own answer!? Look at him!" she said, as she started sobbing. She pulled Spyro closer to her and snuggled her head to his. "I'm sorry." She whispered to him.

"Don't be. Never be." Spyro whispered back, as he was awoken from the yelling.

Quintessence had brought back some red gems and a stretcher. She helped Cynder lay Spyro on it, and she healed him up a little with the red gems, not that they helped completely.

"Where are you going?" Selverous demanded.

"To a hospital!" Cynder shouted.

"The fights not over!" Selverous shouted. Flame looked at Spyro, and a wave of guilt crashed over him. He realized that he nearly slew a dragon, in a tournament nonetheless.

"Yeah, it is. He lost." Flame said. He helped lift the stretcher and started walking to the entrance.

"Come back here now!" Selverous demanded. But one of the audience members went up to Spyro's group and tried to help. Then another did the same. And another. And another. And another. Soon, all of the crowd gathered around Spyro. They all turned away from Selverous, and move Spyro to the hospital.

An hour passed, and a mole came out into the waiting room. "Visiting hours are now open for him." Cynder jumped up and rushed to his side. Quintessence slowly followed.

"How do I do this? Hey, uh, Spyro, I, uh… Jeez, it's a pleasure. I don't know." Quintessence said. She slowly walked into the room. It was a little cramped, but it didn't matter. There was a bed in the center of the room, where Spyro lay. The two were in an embrace, nuzzling, and Cynder was smiling, and she kept saying something under her breath, but Quintessence just admired from a distance. The room had stone walls and a window for light. Candles were lit around the room. Cynder had released some of their embraces, allowing for Spyro to see Quintessence at the back of the room. Quintessence shut the door and walked in.

"Hi, Quintessence,"

"Hi, Spyro." She said. Spyro nodded and smiled.

"Sorry, you found out like this," Spyro said.

"I'm just glad you are okay. I just don't understand why you two decided to hide. I know you two didn't want to come back, but just, why?" Quintessence questioned.

Spyro took a breath and sat up. "Well, how do you imagine it would have gone if we came back?"

"Uh, I don't know. Royal treatment for the two of ya. Maybe a relaxation from the world. I would have to think it would be better than what you've been doing."

"Like the rest think. Okay. Pretend you're me for a second."

"Okay."

"You've just come back as yourself."

"MKay."

"There are crowds rushing just to see your scales."

"Okay."

"And the moment you get back, Princess Aropia throws a wedding and threatens to end your best friend. How about being asked to rule a kingdom? What about Warfang? Ruling Warfang has its perks, though I must say, they aren't worth it."

"Why not?" Quintessence asked.

"False servitude, incorrect judgment, temptation," Spyro said as if he feared the last one most of all. "And what would happen to Cynder? From what I hear, she's been forgotten altogether."

"So what now?* Quintessence asked.

"Well, we'll probably return home, and stay in hiding. But that wouldn't be fair to Cynder." Spyro said, looking at her. "So I guess we'll stay, and that home will be more of a summer home."

"We can't stay Spyro. They'll just repeat their attacks on you until you confess that you're Spyro." Cynder said. "No matter how hard it will be, we have to leave."

"Then we forget about Spyro," Spyro said. The door started to open. It was Princess Aropia.

"Sorry to intrude, but I happened to hear a conversation of Spyro in here. Speaking of which, the general you saved Flame and me from said you had information on him. Care to share?"

Spyro froze. "Forget about him."

"Pardon?" Aropia said.

"I said forget about Spyro! He's moved on. He's not coming back." Spyro said.

"You're saying he's, he's dead?" Aropia asked.

"He might as well be," Spyro said.

"He shouldn't be dead. He should love and live and enjoy life." Cynder said, looking at Spyro with pain in her eyes.

Spyro smiled. He looked at Aropia, who was just downright confused. "He's not coming back for a while, Aropia."

"And why not!?" She demanded.

"Because he doesn't want to marry into royalty, holding a crown above his head all day," he paused, "A-and because he loves a different dragoness. One that he'll cross the sky and back for her. He would die for her." Cynder took a second to realize that she was that dragoness. Her eyes went wide and turned her attention from Aropia back towards Spyro.

"I won't have this! Where is Spyro!?" Aropia demanded.

"He is where he wants to be," Spyro said.

"Princess Aropia! Your mother has arrived!" A nurse came rushing down the hallway.

"You are the most distasteful, ungrateful, selfish dragon I've ever met!" Aropia shouted, and stomped out.

Quintessence closed the door. "Whew. What a bomb you've set off." She said.

Cynder looked to Spyro. "Y-you love me?"

Spyro put his head to hers. "Yes, Cynder. I love you. I should have said it sooner after you told me that when we were in the core. I love you too, Cynder." He replied to the words she confessed to him one year ago.

"I love you Spyro," Cynder said, falling in love even more with Spyro.

Aropia came running down the hall. She threw the doors open to the town hall, tears falling down her face.

"What's wrong, dear?" Queen Jade asked.

"He, *sniff* h-he knows where Spyro is, but won't tell!" Aropia was pulled into her mother's embrace.

"Who!? Who darling!?"

"M-Muck. H-he won't tell anyone." Aropia said.

 **A meeting with the Guardians, Guardianites, and Queen Jade shortly after**

"What do you mean he knows!?" Selverous demanded. "He said to forget about him!?"

"Calm down. There must be reasoning behind this." Terrador said.

Volteer backed up. "Something's not what it seems." He said to himself as the others argued over a dumb planned marriage that was never going to happen.

"My daughter clearly heard this, Muck fellow, and how he said to forget about all we've done for Spyro, and to move on. Spyro still has my daughter to marry!"

"You do realize he loves his partner, not Aropia," Cyril stated.

"Uh oh," Volteer said.

"Shouldn't have said that," Terrador said.

"She should have known a while ago," Cyril stated.

"Partner? What partner?" Queen Jade protested.

"You know, saving her from Malefor's grip, Spyro crossing the sky to save her again from the well of souls, the dragon who we assume helped Spyro take Malefor down?" Cyril explained.

"You can't be serious! After all, she has done!? Her!?" Queen Jade was furious. "I demand Muck tells us where Spyro is!"

"Sadly, you don't have that right here." Bolt said.

"But he knows where he is! The same dragon we've been searching for many moons!" Aropia butted in.

"So what if he knows? Spyro must have told him to keep it a secret. We don't know what Spyro told Muck." Volteer butted in.

"I demand his arrest!" Aropia said, barging in again. "We'll beat it out of him!"

"Yes, we will." Queen Jade stated.

"You're majesty," Flame said walking in, "with all due respect, the plan won't work."

"How dare you-!"

"It's true. Flame literally just had a colosseum fight with the dragon. He didn't even throw a punch. Didn't lay a scratch on Flame, and was nearly beaten to death. He won't tell you."

Queen Jade stared at Flame and accepted the truth. She gave a death glare towards the Guardians. "Fine. We'll plan away as he rots in prison. Maybe that'll change his mind. Guards! Princess Aropia will escort you to a traitor. Take him in, alive. He knows where your future King is, but won't spill the beans."

"You can't do that here!" Terrador shouted.

"Watch me."

"You can't arrest him! He's innocent!" Cynder exclaimed as they held her down with three fully grown male dragons.

"Midnight," Spyro said as the guards put a relic around his neck, "I'll be fine. I know you'll bring me home."

"Please no," she said, struggling to get free. Tears started falling down her face, "How can you go!?"

"I have to. How else will you be safe?"

"I'm sick of you worrying about my safety! I can take care of myself! Let him go!" Spyro's neck was yanked on by the guard, throwing him face-first into the ground. "Stop! You have to stop!" Cynder said, throwing off all three guards. She rushed up to Spyro, only to feel a large bat swung upon her head, knocking her out.

Spyro's eyes opened in shock. "Cynd-!" He was knocked out as well.


	16. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Spyro woke to his hind legs, tail, and back being dragged across the floor. His vision was blurred and eventually came into focus. He was faced up at the ceiling. It was constructed to the finest detail. Support beams lived exactly eight feet apart, indicating the sediment above was unstable. The hallway was lit with torches, and about every thirty feet apart was a cage embedded in the wall. A jail. It was an odd design, but the entrance to the jails was in between the support beams, and by what Spyro could tell, the jails held two prisoners apiece.

"Here we go." The guard said. He opened the door and helped his coworker throw Spyro into the cell.

"Oof!" Spyro said, stomach scratching against the floor, talons jammed into the ground. Spyro had yet to even recover from his battle against Flame. He slowly tried to push himself up, but a guard stepped on him, throwing his snout back into the ground.

"Welcome home. You should get comfortable here, cause no one ever leaves." The guard said and snickered. He walked out and slammed the door to the jail shut. Spyro heard three different locks activate on the door, sealing him in.

Cynder awoke in a blanket. She was in bed, and she was very comfortable. Yet, something seemed off about this bed. She opened her eyes and was greeted with an unfamiliar place. "Spyro?" She asked. Then she remembered. "Spyro!"

Quintessence came barging into the room. "What, what?"

"They took him! They took, they took…" she stopped and stared into space.

"I know. We came and got you after the guards dragged him away." Quintessence said. Cynder felt the blanket with her talons, realizing it was hers from home. Home. How the word was alien to Cynder. "Where did you get this?" Cynder asked.

"Muck, uh, I mean Spyro, went and retrieved it in the early morning of the day of Dawn festival. He told me that home was with you and that if you stayed, he would stay. He told me to hold on to it because he didn't have any hiding spot for it." she paused. "I didn't know you meant that much to him."

Cynder smiled and closed her eyes. She gripped the blanket and held it to her snout. "I hope he's alright."

Spyro started to get up. He forced the energy out of every single cell in his body, and he sat up. He looked around the cell. It was very dark, and all he could make out was that there were two ledges escaping from the wall and that this room was slightly larger than the room he and Cynder were given in Warfang. The neck relic was now gone but replaced with enchanted bracelets around his wrists. He assumed it was to block his ability to use his elements. He tried earth. Yep, no control over the earth. He tried blasting a small fire blast. It worked. So did ice and electricity. Okay, so he wasn't completely powerless. The bracelets were to just for stopping the element they knew he had.

"Hello there." A voice echoed in the background. Spyro spun around. He saw the older dragon, who was much older than he, and he looked as if he'd been through the exact same ordeal as Spyro had gone through. He had a bluish people scale color, and he had blue eyes and radiated electricity from time to time. "What's your name?"

"Muck. Your's?"

"Muck?"

"Yeah."

"I can't believe my luck! Hallelujah! I'm not gonna rot here!" He started jumping around the cell. "I cannot believe my luck!"

"Pardon?"

"Oh, I'm sorry! So so sorry! I'm…"

"Quiet!" A guard yelled.

The dragon changed his tone in a whisper. "I'm Ignitianondias."

"Hello." Spyro stopped for a second. "You know, your name reminds me of someone I looked up to."

"I know. Ignitus, right?"

"Yeah… Did you know him?"

"Know him? HA! I was the guy who raised him when our mother passed and father went off to war."

"What are you doing? You probably have, no, definitely have a concussion after that blow to the head," Quintessence said.

"We have to help him! I'm not sitting here ill on the bench anymore! I'm gonna help him, and you're either going to help me or stay," Cynder said. "Your abilities to teleport should work and get us to where they're holding Spyro."

"You are insane."

"Bet your scales I am! Come on! Where is he?"

"Well, they would have most likely taken him to the Megolishion City dungeon. Huh."

"What?"

"I've never been to a dungeon. Is it like a sewer? Don't answer that."

"Come on! Let's go!"

"Just one problem," Quintessence stated.

"What?"

"I don't know if you would survive if I teleported with you. I've only ever done it solo, so I don't know if I could bring you over safely. The books I read on my abilities never clearly stated if I could do so or not."

"Well, then we better start somewhere else," Cynder said.

"Maybe the Guardians!"

"And tell them what exactly?"

"You're his brother!?"

"Yeah. Where do you think he got all his skills from?"

"I wouldn't have guessed," Spyro said.

"Most don't. They assume his wisdom and combat abilities are from his training. Well, the teacher stands before you."

"So who taught you?" Spyro asked quickly.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Volteer demanded. "You barge in here to question me of something the Guardians or Guardianites never authorized!?"

"Yeah, we did!" Quintessence stated.

"Where is he?" Cynder questioned.

"Who? I know not of who you even speak of." Volteer stated.

"Muck. Where is he?" Cynder asked again.

"What are you talking about. He is supposed to be dispatched from the hospital today."

"Well, last night, some guards came and arrested him," Cynder said, "Where is he?"

"I can't believe this," Volteer said.

"What?" Quintessence asked.

"That pea-brained ice guardianite. He probably had this done-"

"Or Princess Aropia and Queen Jade. They did just come to Warfang, Quintessence stated, "Also, Muck did have information on Spyro's whereabouts."

"He's Spyro," Volteer said to himself, "That's where I know him from."

"Come again?" Cynder stated.

Volteer looked at Cynder, "hello Cynder. I'm so sorry that this happened."


	17. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Spyro couldn't believe this. Ignitus' brother, his older brother, was right in front of him. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He tried again, "How did you get in here?" That's all he could say.

"Well, I tried to meet Spyro during the year after the war. I never did. I was sent underground for shelter as soon as I arrived. The problem is that the Guardians and Guardianites assume I know where he is. Of course, I did not, and I ended up here. But they're starving me until I answer their call."

"Mister Ignitianondias?" Spyro asked.

"Mister is so formal. You can just call me Ignition. Like everybody else. What's your question young dragon?"

"Would you like to hear what happened?"

"I would love that," he stated.

As the hours passed, Spyro had told him of Nina and Flash, the adoptive parents of Spyro, and Sparx, of course. He shared how Spyro met Ignitus, still thinking he we a dragonfly. Ignitianondias found that amusing. He told him about freeing the guardians, and eventually, Cynder. He told her how Cynder truly never killed anyone out of her will because Malefor was the puppet master in her before Spyro decided to save her. Cynder, Spyro really emphasized, helped save the world, and how he journeyed across the sky to Mount Malefor to save her, yet again. Then he told Ignitianondias of the three-year time gap, to the best of his ability, and how they returned and defeated the golem, how they bested Malefor's armies, how the Destroyer was a lost cause, for Malefor willed every rock and movement in its body.

"Then the belt of fire," Ignitianondias said. "I've never heard Spyro's story in so much detail. Not to mention Cynder's. Was she really corrupted at birth?"

"Yeah. Not a single decision was hers until, uh, Spyro, shattered the chains Malefor wielded around her neck." He almost said "I" instead of stating himself in the third person.

"The poor girl," Ignitianondias said.

"Yeah."

"Good heavens! We must leave! Immediately!" Ignitiandias stated all of a sudden.

"What?" Spyro asked.

"Look, I enjoyed your little charades Spyro, but we must seriously leave!" Ignitianondias said.

"You think I'm Spyro?"

"Yeah. Ignitus told me."

"What-?"

*BAM BAM BAM* "Muck! The Queen demands your presence!"

"No thanks. Tell her to come back tomorrow. I'm busy at the moment," he turned to Ignitianondias, "now what did you say?" The whole prison uproared in laughter at his previous comment.

"Smart alec." The guard opened the door.

"You may not lay a talon on him! He is leaving with me!"

"I don't think so." The guard called for backup, and they easily overpowered Ignitianondias because of the elemental dampener around his neck, and they dragged Spyro to the Queen's domain. As they arrived before the throne of stone and gold and obsidian, the guard threw Spyro into the ground. "I suggest you stay down and kneel before the Queen." The guard said. Yet his voice sounded familiar. Spyro stayed on the floor, pretending to not have the strength to get up.

"I shall punish you later." Queen Jade stated, descending from her throne. A red, and orange dragon with massive wings and a red underbelly struck a menacing appearance. Spyro looked up and saw her demanding appearance. She wore a crown of gold, and Spyro realized she had stolen his gift to Cynder, for she now wore it around her wrists and her neck.

"You stole those from her! How could you!?" Spyro asked.

"Very attentive to detail. Yet I don't know how a dragon-like you could even afford such divine jewelry." The Queen said.

"I made them."

"And where do you think you could get this pure gold? Just pull it out from the ground? No dragon has that ability." She said, admiring the jewelry.

"You stole those! Give them back to her!" Spyro demanded.

"Ooo, someone's in a fuss over their sister's jewelry." Queen Jade said sarcastically.

"Your Majesty, she's, uh, not his sister."

"What?" A pause. "Ooooh. I see what's going on here." Queen Jade made herself plain as day.

"Your majesty, I request permission to have this dragoness as my mate. I request it be done by your decree." Selverous said.

"You can't do that!" Spyro demanded.

"Says who? You? You're powerless here." Selverous said. Spyro looked towards the queen.

"Done, but only on one condition," She said with such a sweet tongue. "You have to learn of Spyro's whereabouts first."

"That won't be a problem, your majesty," Selverous stated.

"We're not in Warfang, are we?" Spyro soon understood. He looked to the walls, decorated with many things Warfang would never have. Then he looked back down towards the marble floor in thought.

"Clever dragon. I could use your intelligence, you know." Jade said.

"Yeah, your daughter mentioned something like that. Apple doesn't far from the tree.." Spyro retaliated, looking up into the eyes of the Queen.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," Queen Jade stated. "Selverous, I want Spyro's location by morning."

"And if he still doesn't cooperate?" Selverous said.

"Then we shall make an example of him."

Cynder had flown to all the dungeons in Warfang that day. Volteer insisted that it would be a waste of time not to double-check if he was here, yet Cynder and Quintessence knew better. There were very few dungeons in Warfang, but enough to keep her, Quintessence, and Volteer busy for the entire day in Warfang. She could feel her gut that he was far away. Spyro was not even in Warfang. "Are you sure no additional prisoners from the past day?" she said, asking a guard at the prison gate.

"Sorry. The jails don't house dragons or dragonesses your age." Cynder looked to Quintessence. They started walking out.

"Thanks for your time," Cynder said. They walked out.

"That's jail number thirty-two." Quintessence stated. "The guards were being honest too. They didn't even know of an arrest yesterday."

Cynder stopped. Quintessence turned to face her. "Then he's definitely not in Warfang."

"We kind of already established this," Quintessence stated, "he has to be in Megolishion City. They have enormous dungeons!" Quintessence interrupted.

"Can't you teleport to other dragons?"

"No. We've been through this already."

"Could you at least locate Spyro yourself and then come back and get Volteer and me? We'll be waiting in the town hall."

"Okay okay!" She looked around them. "Stand guard." She quickly said. She tapped into the next reality, visualizing Spyro's soul, its purity, its strength. She found it and then went after it. When she opened her eyes, she was behind a column holding the roof of the palace in the throne room. She heard a voice.

"You can't do that!" A familiar voice rang. Muck was in an argument.

"Says who? You? You're powerless here." Selverous's voice was heard. That was to be expected, but over what?

"Done, but only on one condition," the all to familiar voice said. "You have to learn of Spyro's whereabouts first." Quintessence assumed a deal was made between the Queen and Selverous. It sounds like Spyro was horrified by it.

"That won't be a problem, your majesty," Selverous stated.

"We're not in Warfang, are we?" Spyro said. Quintessence looked around the column, and Spyro met her gaze. He quickly turned his gaze back into the ground, maybe a little too quickly. He looked back to Queen Jade.

"Clever dragon. I could use your intelligence, you know." Jade said.

"Yeah, your daughter mentioned something like that. Apple doesn't far from the tree." Spyro retaliated, looking up into the eyes of the Queen.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," Queen Jade stated. "Selverous, I want Spyro's location by morning."

"And if he still doesn't cooperate?" Selverous said.

"Then we shall make an example of him."

"So I still get Midnight as my mate?" Selverous asked. Quintessence understood now. She looked to the Queen, who wore those same bracelets and necklace Spyro had gifted to Cynder.

"Yes, Selverous. I still don't know why you keep pursuing this dragoness."

"You'll understand in time, your majesty."

"On second thought…" the Queen said. "Tie him to a wooden stake, and make an example of him now."

In the next few minutes, they prepared a wooden stake, with the foundation being re-enforced on the base to a board on wheels. Spyro was chained to the wooden board. He didn't raise a talon against any dragon. His wings were once again bound with a strap, made of leather and tied together. Quintessence couldn't watch. She teleported herself into the city, where not soon after, the citizens were called to the attention of the palace steps. The stake was rolled out onto the palace doorstep for all to see, a beaten dragon on the stake, and he refused to tell her he was Spyro. He kept looking to the sky and laughing though, which Quintessence found odd of Spyro to be doing.

"My fellow citizens!" Queen Jade stated to quiet everyone down. Everyone turned to the stake. Spyro was tied up forty feet in the air, where everyone could see him. "Today, I present a dragon who not only seems our standards as wrong but won't tell us a very important secret he holds. Dragons and Dragonesses, Moles, Wyverns, and all creatures, today, we are here to make an example of the following Dragon for his unjust, undefinable, and wicked acts upon you and your homes." Jade said. She looked at Selverous.

Selverous spoke with an icy sharpness in his voice, "This dragon has started fires to make himself a hero! He has endured a fight against Knight Flame, lying about his service in the war on the front lines! He has dishonored those who truly served and died for your lives today! He has destroyed this community! He has disrespected the Guardians, the Guardianites, and Spyro himself, claiming that we should forget him, and move on. He has taken the Guardian's kind gestures and burned them to the ground. And finally, he has falsely wooed a dragoness by the name of Midnight to stay with him and to cast aside a brighter future with me, Guardianite Selverous. He has brainwashed her, and disrespected her family! Worst of all, he knows of your King's whereabouts, but would rather keep the information himself, leaving the throne of your kingdom vulnerable. He is the definition of a criminal, and his fate will be decided today!"

The crowd didn't even move after the crown retreated in the palace. They stared at The dragon tied to the stake. They were questioning what had really happened, why Queen Jade had yet to throw this dragon in Jasper's End, what was keeping him from such a fate also ran throughout their minds. Quintessence couldn't leave. The whole kingdom was here. What's worse, she couldn't talk to Spyro. A brave soul marched herself up to Spyro, and he turned his head and stared down on the dragoness.

"Is, is it true?" the dragoness asked. The whole crowd waited and listened.

"No," Spyro said. "None of it is true." His voice echoed hurt and sadness.

"So you never started a fire?"

"Never."

"Lies!" Dragons cried from the crowd. Arguments swarmed the crowd. One had a deep, loud, clear voice that echoed throughout the crowd.

"SIIILLEENNNNNNCE!" An elder dragon shouted. The arguing quieted down. He slowly walked through the crowd. He marched toward Spyro. He arrived at the foot of the stake. "Now continue your testimony," he turned to the dragoness, "and please continue you're questioning," he said irritably. "How can we judge him fairly if all you see is a dragon a queen finds wrong in!? She gave him to us to judge, so let us judge him properly!" Silence fell among the crowd.

The dragoness turned back to Spyro, and continued, "Did you fight against Knight Flame?"

"I didn't fight. I was forced to take a beating from him. I never laid a talon on him."

"Did you serve in the war against Malefor?"

"On the front lines."

"You look so young to be fighting a war on the front lines."

"Well I did, and when Guardianite Selverous forced me into a tournament fight against Knight Flame, I wouldn't fight, and he saw that as me trying to hide something," He took a deep breath, struggling to hold a conversation in his position.

"Are you hiding something?"

"No!"

"Okay. Did the Guardians offer kind gestures that you forsake and rejected?"

"I did forsake their offerings to me, but it wasn't their kind offerings. They used their power to try to keep an eye on me, moving me closer to them. They were unfair against those who were there in Warfang months before I even set foot in it."

"Next question!" Some dragons yelled from the crowd.

"Did you brainwash the dragoness Midnight?"

"Brainwash? I would never. I love that dragoness with my heart. Four years we've known each other, fighting on the front lines together. Saving one another."

"Again, you're pretty young to be fighting-" the dragon was cut off.

"Fine dragon." The elder quickly butted in. "Let's get to the question everyone's been wondering. Do you know of Spyro's whereabouts?" Spyro looked to the kingdom, out in the crowd. "Well do you or not!?"

He took a deep breath, "Yes. Yes, I do."


	18. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Storm clouds started to roll in. The rain was inevitable. Spyro had only so long until the world knew that Muck wasn't truly Muck at all. He was accustomed to the dark night had brought; the menacing clouds looming and hiding the stars from view. The city was discussing his future, but he already knew what would come. He was going to be revealed, one way or another. He just had to do it when the best time comes, but that had passed. He should have declared himself alive the day of the festival. That might have been for the best. Yet, what was done was done, and he could only wait. Suddenly, three shadowy figures appeared. One took a step closer to the platform.

"Spyro?" an all too familiar voice questioned.

Spyro's spirits lifted at the sound of her voice. "Cynder, I'm up here." She looked up.

"Oh my gosh." She reached out her talon. Her face in a state of pain. "Spyro, please stop doing this. Stop doing it for my sake." She pleaded.

Spyro looked at the two other shadows. "Quintessence. Hello Volteer," he said.

"I'm so sorry young dragon. I never wanted any of this to happen."

"It's okay," Spyro stated.

"No, it's not. It's far from alright! No one should be treated as we've treated you, especially thanks to your disguise, it won't happen to another dragon."

"Which is why I must follow through on this.". Spyro said.

"Spyro, they'll send you to a devastating, torturous, horrifying fate. You don't want to know-" Volteer was cut off.

"Jasper's End. I'm planning on it. And that storm will help." Spyro said.

"Spyro listen to yourself!". Volteer exclaimed in disappointment. "You're going to get yourself killed!"

Spyro looked towards Cynder. "Are you with me?"

"Always." Cynder put her head under Spyro's. Volteer pulled his head back in disbelief.

"Fine. Fine fine fine fine fine fine," Volteer stated. "What's the plan?"

Spyro paused for a moment. "You're right Volteer. I took it a little too far. Let's modify what I've got planned so far."

"He knows! What else is there to discuss!?". Aropia declared.

Scattered voices rang throughout the crowd. "Uh, princess, with all due respect-"

"'With all due respect' what!?"

"He hasn't even done anything wrong." The dragon stated. "He looks your age, your highness. I doubt he can even comprehend the circumstance."

"Are you saying I can't comprehend this circumstance?"

"Your majesty, of course not-"

"It sure sounds like it!"

"Then I withdraw my statement. But that kid out there probably only needs the right persuasion!"

"Persuasion, eh?". Queen Jade obtained an idea. "Selverous stated that dragon cares for a black dragoness a little too, dearly. Guards!"

"Yes, your majesty?"

"Selverous, her name please?" Jade demanded.

"Midnight, your highness."

"Find and bring me a black dragoness called Midnight. Alive."

"Yes your majesty," The four rushed out the door. Before the hearing could continue, there was a sudden crack of thunder so loud, it could only have been produced by a dragon. The kingdom within the palace overlooked the entrance. Not a minute later, one of the four dragons Jade sent had returned, beaten, and broken. "You're majesty-" he was cut off, and he collapsed. Behind him stood Volteer.

"You come into Warfang, harass a visitor, imprison a visitor, and humiliated an innocent dragon. For shame on Megolishion City."

"You, Guardian Volteer, are visiting my kingdom as an illegal visitor. You are violating the law of my land-". Jade was cut short.

"I'm intrusive!? How dare you! You should be arrested for the rest of your life for breaking the peaceful safe city of Warfang! You should be judged and condemned for your actions before I even stand before a courtroom!"

"What do you want Volteer?" Aropia demanded.

"Release the dragon Muck. Selverous, you are officially expelled as the ice Guardianite, and Warfang is no longer an ally of Megolishion City."

"Sorry. That's not happening." Jade scoffed with amusement.

"That wasn't a request," Volteer turned around, and headed towards the entrance. The entrance guards held their spears against over another, blocking Volteer from exiting.

"He's not alone," Selverous observed. The guards quickly opened the gates and rushed to where Muck was being held. Thunder echoed overhead, for telling a storm. Volteer was restrained. When Jade arrived at where she had kept Muck, she found shattered chains.

"What did this?" She said in fear. Those chains were enchanted to strain muscle, making it painful to leave. They were also enchanted to withstand the elements. Natural or dragon made. She was looking at the remains of the only thing said to keep any dragon chained.

"Not what,". Volteer started, "who."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Of course not," the dragon inhaled, and took a deep breath, "but when we return, we won't be hunted down. We won't have to hide or be squeezed into a small apartment. We'll just be us. And then I get to spend the rest of my life with you."

"That was a little cheesy." The female teased.

"Was it?"

"Yeah," she giggled. Spyro rolled his eyes, and Cynder's smile started to die. "What are you going to do about Aropia?"

"We'll play it by year," Spyro said. "I'm sorry Queen Jade stole your jewelry."

"It's fine. They were nice, but flashy stuff isn't really my thing.". They heard the gates burst open. The entire kingdom filled the area. Spyro looked up at the sky.

"Alright. Phase two."

"Where is he!?". Queen Jade demanded from Volteer.

"Which one? The kid, or your king?"

"He told you." Jade held a face of surprise. "How did you get him to…" she paused. "Midnight."

"No. I figured it out. And by freeing Muck, I have done something for that dragon that I should have done more of. I should have served the visitors as if they were kings and queens.". Lightning struck in between Jade and Volteer, startling everyone.

"How dare you strike lightning at me!" Queen Jade exclaimed.

"That wasn't me-". Volteer was cut off.

"Look!" The crowd looked up. Two shadows were present. The rain started pouring. Lightning struck next to the two shadows. Before Megolishion City hovered Spyro and Cynder, dirt and mud being washed off.

"Our king," Selverous said as Megolishion City stared in awe, and bowed in respect of the king's arrival.


End file.
